The Letter
by OncerRevolution
Summary: Have you been wondering just how Elsa came to have the curse? What is the aftermath of Elsa saving a life? Explore Elsa's powers and watch as one act of bravery changes her and her sister's lives forever. What will Elsa discover, besides her powers? Is their more to love than just it's power to unfreeze hearts?Drama, action, comedy. Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and OC's.
1. Recieved

**Chapter 1**

**Recieved**

Elsa sat writing at a desk, a furrow of worry blanketing her brow. Her gloved fingers made penmanship about as easy as modeling clay with no fingers. Throwing the pen down in anger, she shrunk back, sighing deeply into the chair.

Standing, she paced quietly over to the window, where her gaze settled on a mail carrier standing at the open gates in the front of her palace. _Someone will get that_, she thought to her self. Placing both her gloved palms on the window's seal, she lazily drug her eyes across the snowy landscape around her. Her Kingdom was flourishing besides the cold, thanks to her new found confidence in leading a country full of wonderful, jolly people. Just over a year ago, she had escaped to the mountains, planning on never returning. For a moment, that same fear sparked her heart, and she glazed down at her hands, griting her teeth in impatience at them. No matter how wonderful a Queen she was, she still couldn't fully control the swirling crystals that bounced restlessly against her fingertips.

A knock at the door snapped her away from her thoughts, and she called.

"Come in." Her voice was cool.

The door slid open, and her sister stepped inside. A grin rested on her small lips, the same grin that almost never left them. She walked slowly towards her sister, letters held against her chest.

"Good Morning, Elsa." Anna yawned, meeting her sisters eyes.

"Good Morning. Is this mail for me?" Elsa said, eyeing the packages in her sisters grasp.

"Yes, it is." Anna placed the letters on Elsa's desk, coming back to look out the large window with her. "You don't seem...yourself." Anna said at last, worry foaming in her words.

"Oh, no I'm fine, really. Just this writing business," She glanced at her hands. "Its hard not to freeze the pens." She sighed.

Anna let out a little laugh, and Elsa couldn't help but smile at her. "Elsa, if worrying about freezing pens is all your worked up about, then I'd say your a lucky Queen."

Elsa nodded. "Your right," She giggled. "I guess I am lucky. This whole Kingdom supports me, supports us, without question."

Anna smiled. "The people are wonderful, really." She let a frown crease her lips for a moment. "But sometimes I wish...I wish it wasn't us." Her voice trailed quietly.

Elsa knew exactly what she meant. "I miss them too, Anna." Elsa comforted quietly.

Anna smiled again.

"Do you think our parents are happy with us? I mean, are they pleased with...my leadership?" Elsa asked, and Anna took a short breath.

"We are all doing the best we can. And the Kingdom is happy, were plentiful. So I'm sure they are proud of you, Elsa." Anna said.

Elsa sighed, and suddenly her sister's arms hung gently around her, and she embraced her hug. "I'm proud of you, so why wouldn't our parents be?" Anna said, releasing Elsa and straightening her own dress. "But, being Queen still means you have to deal with that mail." Anna smirked, pointing at the desk.

"But I-" Elsa tried.

"No 'buts' Missy." Anna teased. "Its your duty. Now, I have to go and wake Kristoff. There's a big ice delivery today in the Schalvler."

"Schalveler? But I thought he just delivered there last week?" Elsa said, picturing the neighboring Kingdom and its great waterfalls that it was so known for.

"He did." Anna smiled. "But they ordered more. He's already late, lazy bones, he still has to get Sven ready too." Anna giggled.

"All right. Well, I'll see you tonight then? At dinner?" Elsa asked.

"Of course." Anna bowed teasingly, and left with a spurt of giggles.

_Right_, Elsa thought. _Time for mail._ She huffed and sat again at her desk, picking up the top most letter in the neat pile on her desk. Gentle writing addressed her personally, and she raised a brow at the lettering.

* * *

**To Elsa Of Arendelle**

Elsa stared for quite a while at the marks on the envelope, turning it slowly to reveal a wax seal, encrypted with a decorated and fancy letter D. Tapping the letter, she took her letter knife and ripped the seal, suddenly needing to know the contents below the envelopes surface. Unfolding the paper within, she sat back, held the letter up to her face, and read:

**Elsa,**

**My name is Danesk, and I'm sorry for the suddenness of the this letter. You see, I am family to you, a sister of your mother. As your aunt, I bet your wondering just exactly why you didn't know that I existed. Well, its because I, like you, contain the curse.**

Elsa almost chocked. What was this, some sort of joke? An aunt? Surely her mother would have told her about an aunt. Especially if...if her mother knew someone who had the curse like Elsa. She swallowed, reading on:

**Your mother and I were twins, if you'll believe it. When I was born with white hair and she was born with brown, my mother new instantly that something was different about me. My parents were never as understanding and caring about my curse as I have been told yours were. When I was fifteen years of age, my parents locked me away, ordering that I be closely monitored and never allowed to see another person until I was rid of the ice inside me. They blamed me, believed I chose the curse, and chose what came with it.**

**I was horribly angry with them, who wouldn't be? In an act of disobedience, I would practice my magic in my cell, every waking moment of my life. I learned the extent of what I could do, and I grew to love and embrace my powers. Your mother was the only one who ever understood me. Of course she didn't exactly know why I was the way I am, but she visited me whenever possible. I'd show her what I could do, and she loved it. We were close...so close.**

**Then, an idea struck me. I could control my powers, couldn't I? Your sister and I devised a plan to get me out, and she told my parents that I had finally decided to cast my curse away, that I had learned my lesson. When they set me free, it was so joyful. I was allowed back into the palace, back into my home. I learned then that my parents told no one of my powers, for when they locked me up, they had told the Kingdom that I had been killed. As you can imagine, this outraged me even more. My own parents had faked my death, only to cover themselves in fear that the Kingdom would cast them out.**

Elsa blinked. Suddenly, a chill ran down her spine. Her parents could have done this to her as well. But still, why had her mother hid from her the fact that she had an aunt? With the same curse?

**One day, your mother and I were in our room, the only place I ever dared let my magic free. Somehow our parents found us, and they tried to take me away. I was young, so stupid. I did everything I could to keep them away from me, and tried with all my might not to hit them with the ice. My father leaped at me, and in fear I struck out, the ice missing him by an inch. Suddenly, there was a scream so petrifying I can still hear it...I hit your** **mother. My own sister, I had stuck her in the stomach.**

**I was put away again. Destined to rot in a cell for something I had accidentally done. A week later, I was surprised to see my sister, she had come down to visit me. I told her how sorry I was, how I didn't mean it. But there was something in her eyes that told me she'd never forgive me.**

**Then, I was told the truth. Our parents had taken her to a specialist, a seer of the future. Instantly, she told my sister that since she had been struck by ice in the abdomen, her first born would contain the curse...**

Elsa couldn't breathe. Her heart was pounding so hard that she felt it might explode, and she threw the letter back to the table. Pacing, she felt dizzy, coming back to her chair to stare at the letter. Fighting back tears, she picked it up once more, finishing its words:

**...Your mother was so scared, Elsa. And so was I, I wept for days. That was the last time I ever saw her, your mother. I recently learned the news of her and your father's passing, and my dear, I'm am so dreadfully sorry. If only I had known you had been born, and contained the curse, I would have wrote sooner.**

**To finalize, I will be visiting Arendelle on the day of June the seventh, at precisely seven o'clock p.m. I do hope this letter has been received by them, for it would be an awful lot to explain in words. I hope you will receive me, for there is so much I long to speak with you about.**

**With love,**

**Danesk of Arkinvale**

* * *

Elsa sprung herself back to reality when a tear drop shook the paper in her hands. She stood, composing herself, and folding the letter neatly, shoved it back into it's envelope. She paced quickly to the door, yelling through the hall.

"Anna! Anna, come here, please!" Elsa almost ran to Anna's room, where she found it empty. She paced to the gardens, to the kitchen, everywhere, but to no avail.

"My Queen? What is it you need?" A staff member asked, concern dripping from her voice.

"Anna. Where is she?" Elsa asked, her own voice hoarse with need.

"She's just left, your Majesty. On and ice delivery with Kristoff." The servant had barely finished before Elsa paced to the front doors, ripping them open to see Anna speeding off at the end of the town's main road.

Elsa stepped back inside, her breath coming in reps of confused worry. She looked up to a staff member with a soft face. "Linark, what day is it?"

"My Queen, its the Seventh of June." She took a step towards, out stretching his hand. "Are you alright?"


	2. The Proof is in the Ice

** sorry this is late being updated! I decided to post because its my b-day and I just wanted it up :3 **

**Chapter 2**

**The proof is in the Ice**

An hour later, Elsa sat eagerly at the dining table, her gloved fingers tapping restlessly against the chair's handle. Staff members walked restlessly around her as well, trying their best to comfort their nervous Queen. Their words sounded muffled in her ears, her thoughts too loud, buzzing around inside her head.

"My Queen, if only you'll tell us why this visitor causes so much concern, we could try our best to ease the situation." A woman said quietly.

Elsa put up a hand. "Please, Kaiesh, I just need to think." Her tone bitter, she bit her lip against the look of concern in Kaiesh's eyes.

"We'll leave you to it, Mrs." Kaiesh breathed, closing the door behind her to leave Elsa alone. With them gone, Elsa gritted her hands against her temples. This new knowledge of her mother's past never ceased to leave her mind.

"Get control," She said, opening and closing her hands restlessly. "Calm, stay calm." She stood, brushing her dress off with her hand before opening the window's deep burgundy curtain. A carriage came trotting towards the gates, stopping as the horses tossed their heads gingerly. Elsa watched as a heeled figure stepped out, before slamming the curtains shut. She couldn't watch, her hands wouldn't rest.

Elsa turned as a voice sounded behind her. "Your Majesty...the visitor. She's arrived." Her voice rang with worry, obviously not in favor of his Queen's discomfort. Elsa smiled, her teeth shut tight.

"Thank you." With a nod, she paced behind Kaiesh, who threw concerned glances back at her until Elsa couldn't bare it anymore. "Thank you, Kaiesh, but i'll be fine from here." She smiled.

Kaiesh swallowed loudly before she bowed. "Of course, my Queen."

Elsa continued to the door. She stood tall, waiting eagerly, rather nervous. Fear, anger, confusion, what ever it was, lay bubbling in the pit of her stomach. Wreathing her fingers together, she rest them against her lap, her blue eyes watching intently at the door ahead. A knock sounded.

"Open the door," Elsa nodded to a guard.

The guard stepped forward, pulling the wooden portal open slowly. Elsa wrapped a smile around her cheek bones.

A woman, covered in a green cloak, head down, stepped into her castle. The hooded figure stopped, lifted her sight to meet Elsa's, and she could see smiling lips beneath the shadow of the hood. Silence shattered through the air before, finally, the woman removed her hood.

What Elsa saw was the exact spitting image of her mother. But another look shook her to the bones, for she saw the spitting image of herself. The woman smiled gently, her thin lips and wrinkle kissed cheeks matching her mother's exactly. Her deep, frozen eyes and white hair mirrored Elsa furiously, and Elsa forced a silent swallow. This woman was family.

"Welcome...to, to Arendelle." Elsa finally forced out, stammering, her cheeks hot with embarrassment. The woman didn't seem to mind, she walked slowly over to Elsa, looking up and down her body. The woman met her eyes easily, and layed her hands on Elsa's shoulders.

"Look at you." The woman said, and Elsa met her eyes for a moment. They were filled with water, and Elsa dropped her gaze. "Such a beautiful young woman."

Elsa didn't know how to respond. She felt mixed emotions towards the woman before her. It wasn't this woman's fault that Elsa had never heard of her before. But it was, in fact, her fault that Elsa contained the curse.

"I know, you don't have to say anything, Elsa." The woman said, and Elsa relaxed silently. "I know your confused. Please, I'm Danesk, your aunt. I do hope you've received my letter?" She looked intently at Elsa's fearful gaze.

"I have." Elsa managed, forcing a weak smile. Danesk sighed with relief, taking both of Elsa's hands. Elsa tensed, suddenly feeling what little control she had over the ice wither away.

Danesk smiled, but Elsa could see the sorrow in her eyes. "Yes, the curse flows strong in your blood, my dear." She let go of her hands, and Elsa took a step back, turning her body towards the dining room ahead. She didn't want to speak of the curse just yet.

"Do come in." Elsa forced, and she walked silently with her aunt towards the double doors leading into the dining room. Staff members warily pulled back chairs for the woman, and they sat across from one another.

"Where is your sister, my dear? It is a sister, isn't it? Not a brother?" Danesk asked, removing her cloak as she spoke.

"Anna, yes she's my sister." Elsa informed with a gentle smile.

"Ah, how lovely. Where is she?" Danesk crossed her hands on her lap, much like Elsa herself.

"She's away at the moment, with Kristoff." Elsa revealed before thinking.

"Kristoff?" Danesk asked quickly, and Elsa had no time to cover it.

"He's, well, I'd like to say her fiance, but I can't really, its not official." Elsa tried to make sense, but seeing Danesk's eyes light up with humor, she relaxed.

"I see. So this Kristoff, he's...a prince, of course." She said, eyeing Elsa curiously.

"Well...no, he's not. But, he is Arendelle's official Ice deliverer." Elsa felt a laugh bubble at the pit of her stomach, but she pushed it down. Her fingers tingled, the ice welling over. She gripped her palms tightly, hiding them under the table.

"Ice Delivery. Well, that's quite a...lovely business to be in, I'd say." Danesk smiled weakly, and Elsa nodded, sighing. She waited for this woman to speak again, but a long silence was broken by a racking cough from a servants chest just outside the door.

"Elsa, I...I don't know where to begin." Danesk stared at the wall ahead of her, slowly sweeping her gaze towards Elsa's, meeting her eyes. Elsa kept quiet, not sure if anger or fear sat on her tight lips. "I guess I'll start from the beginning." She cleared her throat as if to ask Elsa for permission.

"The letter, it explained much, but I'm afraid I couldn't explain it all in pen." She laughed, expecting Elsa to join, but Elsa's stomach was too tight to let anything come. "As I'm sure you know, your mother and I were sisters. Twins, like I told you. I know you and Anna must be angry with-" Elsa cut her off.

"Anna doesn't know. She mustn't, its not important for her to find out until I decide." Elsa spoke, her tone a little too thick. Danesk sat back in her chair.

"I see. Your a strong Queen, my dear. Keeping the people's minds free from trouble, such a brave heart." Danesk spoke, and Elsa blinked. "I was a lot like you, when I was your age. I was born first, you see, supposed to be crowned Queen." Elsa looked at her still. How many secrets could one woman hold?

"So when your parent's told the Kingdom you were dead, my Mother became heir." Elsa stated, and Danesk nodded.

"Yes, but I was never cut out to be Queen anyways. Or at least that's what my parents believed, I was never trained or treated as a princess. Although the Kingdom didn't know it, your mother was always going to be their Queen." Danesk said, her eyes staring blankly ahead. Elsa listened intently to her voice, but could pick up not trace of jealous or hate. Only regret.

"How did you come to live in Arkinvale?" She asked, and Danesk smiled.

"After I was once again locked away, I expected to die there. I had accepted that, once I learned of your mothers fate because of...because of my mistake." Her breath shook, and Elsa felt uneasy as her eyes filled. "I was a prisoner for many years after that. All through the coronation of my sister, the death of my father, and the marriage of the Queen and King, your parents. After your mother married, It had been years since my 'death'," Danesk made quotations in the air, and Elsa forced a smile. "And I had been forgotten. I waited till night time, when all the guards were drunk off rum in celebration for your parents. I escaped and ran into the forest." Danesk motioned forward, as if a movie played in her head. "I lived there for many years. Well, I survived. Living alone in a forest isn't exactly an easy job." She sighed and smiled weakly to Elsa, swallowing. "Long story short, I only came into the main Village when I needed, and have done so ever since I escaped." Finishing her story, she sat up straight, looking at Elsa intently, waiting for her to respond.

Elsa couldn't bring herself to say anything. How could she? She had only just met this woman claiming to be her aunt, claiming to be the reason she contained the very curse that sat her apart from everyone she new. She wasn't even sure that this woman had the curse, despite her remarkable resemblance to Elsa herself. Luckily, Danesk caught her lack for words.

"You don't believe me, do you my dear?" Danesk said sadly, her eyes dropping and her tone going flat.

"I...I believe you." Elsa said, her voice too high pitched to reassure Danesk or even herself.

"Maybe this will help." Before Elsa could respond, Danesk backed her chair out slightly from the table, stood and wiggled her fingers. A gentle smirk rested on her light pink lips as she raised her little hands in the air, retreated her palms back wards, and twirled her fingers. Elsa watched in amazement as gentle flakes of cold ice fell from her palms, collecting on the table before her.

As she watched, Elsa's palms racked with a desire to spin the air and collect the ice inside it. Her fingers shook rapidly, and she tightened her grip against her lap as Danesk whisked flakes of sparkling blue and white ice through the air, the curse so obeying to her that Elsa felt a pang of jealousy spark her heart, and she had to grit her teeth to stop herself from asking Danesk to stop. To finalize, Danesk spun herself easily, whirling her fingers in a tight circle to sizzle a beautifully shaped snow man, a gentle smile on his snowy lips. Sitting, Danesk looked eagerly at Elsa.

Elsa waited patiently for the snowman to come to, to speak to her, to dance and ask questions like Olaf. She blinked patiently, and finally looked to Danesk.

"When will he come to life?" She asked curiously, obviously believing of the woman now.

"Come to life? My dear, its snow." Danesk said, her eyes squinting. "The curse isn't a life bringer, Elsa. Why do you ask me?" Danesk looked intently at her, eyes wide in astonishment. "Does your...your ice bring life?"

"Yes." Elsa said, shaking her head.

Danesk gasped, suddenly so excited that Elsa couldn't keep up with her words.

"You mean you can create life? You mean to tell me what you make has a beating heart?" Danesk looked wildly at Elsa's hand, surprise and awe licking at her eyes.

"I don't know if I give hearts," Elsa said quietly, the weird thought pricking her mind. "But I can give life." She said, her hands so anxious at the moment she couldn't really focus.

Danesk stayed quiet for a while. Elsa took the opportunity to really study her features, to gander at her white hair, her icy hands. She knew Danesk was studying her too, she could feel her freezing gaze on her hands.

"Of all the things I thought I could do," Danesk finally said, "Creating life is not one of them. How did you learn to do this, my dear?" She sat on the edge of her seat, ankles crossed.

"I didn't learn, It just happened." Elsa started. "I never...practiced, if you will, the curse. I had to hide it as a child."

Danesk chewed her cheek. "Why is that?"

Elsa sighed heavily. "When we were children, I hurt my sister. I could have killed her. A troll healed her, but she had no memory of my powers." Elsa looked at the floor. "I froze Arenedelle when Anna found out again." She added. "It took a while to learn how to melt the ice, but I still cant's exactly..."Elsa trailed off.

"Control it?" Danesk said.

"Control it." Elsa assured.

"It takes practice, Elsa. I can help you." Danesk said, and Elsa could barely look into her sorrowful eyes. "No matter how much I deny it, your curse is my fault. Helping you is all I can do to make that up to you, and to your mother."

Elsa blinked, and was surprised to find herself smiling. "I'd like that."


	3. Save a Soul

**Chapter 3**

**Save a Soul**

Danesk smiled, an obviously sigh of relief escaping from her lips.

"My sister! Please, where's my sister?" A voice echoed through the closed doors.

Elsa perked her attention towards the voice, and sat up straight.

"What is it, dear?" Danesk asked, concern pooling in her eyes.

Elsa shook her head, blinking fast. "Nothing, it's nothing." She forced a smile.

"Where's my sister?!" Elsa stood fast, her grip tightening as the door swung open.

"Elsa!" Anna, red faced and teary eyed, came running towards her, tripping as she came. "Please...hurry. Kristoff and I...found..." Her breath came is rasps, and she tugged on Elsa's arm, panicking.

"Hold on, hold on! What happened?" Elsa said, following her sister's pulls. Anna cried, her tugs on Elsa's arms getting more and more forceful.

Just as Elsa was about to ask Anna again, the double doors to the opening of the castle flew open, revealing Kristoff, stumbling as he came. In his arms he carried a bundle of deep blue satin fabric, motionless and cold. He stumbled to Elsa's feet, laying the bunble out across his lap.

"Help...she..." Kristoff wasn't able to catch his breath. Kneeling to meet his eyes, Elsa gasped as she looked down. Wrapped in the bundle of blue was a tiny girl, lips blue, eyes shut. Her little body lay still, her light brown, curly hair hung over Kristoff's knee, and one small arm hung limply out of the blue coat.

"Where did you find her?" Elsa asked quickly, standing as Anna bent to caress the child's face.

"We...she was laying in the snow. There were hoof prints everywhere...she must have...must have been laying there for hours, the snow was...piled over her." Anna spoke between sobs.

Elsa squatted again, gazing at the young girl. She wanted to touch her little face so badly, to feel her cold skin, but she held back. "How's her skin?"

Kristoff caught his breath, holding her tightly but feeling her little check with his forehead. "She's ice cold."

Elsa swallowed hard. "Is she breathing?" The words stung her tongue, and a lump caught in the back of her throat. Anna sobbed terribly as she lay her head just over the girls tiny mouth, her eyes shut tight. Anna stopped her breathing to listen, then shrunk back terribly. "No...no she isn't!" Her wails echoed through the castle walls.

"Elsa." Elsa dragged her eyes away from the girl to see that Danesk had followed her out. She stood, walking quickly over to the woman.

"What do I do? Why, why did Anna bring her here? What can I do?" She asked, fear cracking her voice.

Danesk grabbed her hands, her eyes locking with Elsa's, strangely calming her. "Maybe she believes you can help her."

Elsa stood still, looking at her hands and then meeting Danesk's eyes again. "No...it doesn't work like that."

Danesk squeezed her hands tightly. "Elsa, you yourself told me you can bring life. Maybe...maybe you could save her." Her voice was so quiet Elsa had to strain to listen.

"I can't, no, it's not possible. I _make_ ice, I don't know how to...No." Elsa felt the lump in her throat tighten. She turned back to look at the little girl. Anna met her eyes.

"Please...please, Elsa, do something." Her sobs tore at Elsa's heart, and she had to throw her gaze to the ground as a tear fell to her cheek. She shrank down next to Anna again, who grabbed her shoulders. "Please! I've seen you bring things to life, you have to try!"

_So Danesk was right_, Elsa thought. _Anna believes I can save her_. Elsa's breath came quickly, and she looked between Anna and Krstoff, who's eyes were glazed over. She shook so violently from fear that she could barely contain herself.

"Anna...I can't..." She gazed down at the bundle of blue, which was softly rocked by Kristoff, trying to comfort the girl in his arms. Anna put her hands around Elsa's face, a new light of fear sitting in her eyes. Elsa almost didn't recognize her, Anna's eyes were so somber and serious that Elsa felt uncomfortable.

"Elsa. Try, please. Please, god, just try!" Her hands shook too, and Elsa gritted her teeth before ripping off her gloves and shoving Anna away.

Taking the little girl from Kristoff, she drug her into her lap, ignoring the sickening need to spin the air around her. Tears feel from her eyes onto the girls cheek as she gazed at her young face, her light skin, tiny, ice covered eye lashes and freckled nose. A sudden shock over came her heart so hard that Elsa almost fell backwards. She had to save her. She had to.

Looking once back up at Anna, she adjusted the girls body, almost weightless in her arms. Elsa opened her hand, laying it over the girls chest. Tears flooded so quickly from her eyes that she had to continuously blink just to be able to see.

Concentrating, she forced her body to stop shaking, took a huge breath, and let go. All the stress from Danesk's arrival, the constant force against the back of her fingers, the continuous need to protect her sister. She let go of all the stress of protecting the kingdom, she released all the tears from her parent's death, the wrong she felt for almost killing her kingdom off. She poured out her heart and need for the girl in her arms to live, to come back, for the ice inside her to melt.

And then it happened. Her hand lit blue, and before Elsa could tell what was happening, a light so bright she had to close her eyes blasted from between her fingers. The girl coughed, and Elsa held her breath.

The very moment her little brown eyes flew open, she was dragged from Elsa, back into Kristoff's arms. Elsa felt tears stream from her eyes as Anna wrapped the blanket tight around the little girl, and as Kristoff rocked her back and forth. The girl coughed rapidly, and Elsa stay on her knees to take it all in. Her hand tingled, almost as if it was gone, but Elsa ignored it as Anna threw her arms around her, hugging her tight.

"You did it, you saved her Elsa! Look, she's alive!" Anna's voice flamed with relief, and Elsa looked up to see Danesk smiling, pride beaming from her stance.

"Thank you Elsa, you saved her." Kristoff smiled, and Elsa nodded slowly. Somehow, some way, she had saved her. Gazing down at her hands, she felt herself softly smile.

Almost an hour passed as Anna fretted over the slowly waking girl, who now sat up on the floor, big brown eyes looking around, shocked. Finally, she spoke, her little voice cracking.

"Where am I?" Her little hands crossed nervously in her lap, and she stood herself up, wobbling.

"Your safe, don't worry." Anna said, steadying her gently.

The little girl blinked once, before her face creased with sudden worry. "Where's Santein?"

Anna looked at Kristoff, who shook his head. "Who?" He asked her, and she looked back up at Anna.

"My brother."

Anna gritted her teeth, and forced a smile. "I'm not sure sweetie, but I'm sure he's-"

"What if he's hurt?" The little girl asked, her eyes so concerned it wasn't natural. For her size it looked as if she was barely even able to speak, her thin little bones protruded unhealthily from her cheeks.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Kristoff asked.

The young girl chewed her lips before nodding slowly. "We were riding our horse, Camanchi, he's a brown pony with lots of spots." She pointed in random directions in the air, as if outlining the spots on her horses back. "I'm not sure why we came here, we don't live here. We lived in Arkonsale."

"Arkinvale?" Danesk stepped forward, and Elsa watched as Anna completely ignored the stranger, still in too much shock to notice her.

"Oh, yeah, Arkinvale, that's it. We were riding Camanchi away from there, and then all a'sudden he spooked, and Santein fell off. I'm a good rider, Santein says so, and I held on tight. Camanchi ran really fast...and then I was here, with you." She finished, meeting Elsa's gaze.

"What's your name?" Anna asked, brushing a curl behind her ear.

"Kaija." The girl answered matter-o-factly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well, Kaija, is it alright if you stay here for a while? We can go and look for your brother, if that's alright." Kristoff said, and Kaija shied away from him, blushing.

"That's fine with me, Sr." She pushed back into Anna, her cheeks red.

Anna turned to Elsa. "Please, come with us. It's a blizzard out there, you might be able to help us find Santein."

"Anna, we can't go looking for a random stranger. This girls just woken up, she hit her head. What if...well, what if she's imagining it all?" Elsa said, although she could hardly make herself not believe the tiny girl.

Anna just blinked, turning her head away. "Fine, don't come. Kristoff and I will go search." She brushed Kaija's dress off gently.

"No...no, fine, I'll come." Elsa said, bending to pick up her gloves and put them back on. She turned to Danesk, and was about to speak, but suddenly she felt a tug on her dress. She turned.

Kaija looked happily up at her, and Elsa smiled down at her little red cheeks. "What's your name, Ma'am?" Her brown eyes blinked.

Elsa bent to the floor, eye level with Kaija. "I'm Elsa."

Kaija touched her crown, giggling. "This is pretty." Elsa could feel her small hands tracing the crystals. Suddenly, the little girl got right in her face, touching her little nose to Elsa's. "Thank you for saving me, Ms. Elsa." She turned around and smile up at Kristoff and Anna. "What's your names, then?"

Anna smiled, a little laugh spilling from her lips. "I'm Anna, and this," She motioned to Kristoff. "Is Kristoff."

Kaija blushed when Kristoff waved at her. "Thank you for, for saving me." She tangled her fingers together and looked at the floor.

"Your certainly welcome, Kaija." Kristoff smiled at her. She hid behind Anna's legs.

Elsa felt a smile crease her lips, and turned again to speak to Danesk. She was surprised to find she wasn't there, and she swallowed before calling out to Kaiesh.

"Kaiesh, will you watch over Kaija until we return? Do fetch her some warmer clothes, and make her some tea." Elsa asked kindly.

"Of course, my Queen." Kaiesh answered.

"Kaija," Elsa turned to see Anna bending at Kaija's level. "Will you go with Kaiesh here? Were going to look for your brother."

Kaija nodded shyly. "Yes, Ms. Anna." She paced her little legs towards Kaiesh's out stretched hand. "Please find him, I love him very much." Her little voice cracked.

"We will. I promise." Anna answered, determination flashing in her eyes. "I promise."


	4. Found

**Chapter 4**

**Found**

Elsa looked over her shoulder, quietly watching Kristoff's purpling lips chap over as they raced into the blizzard, Sven pulling them along bravely. Elsa sat on the far right side of the sled, pressed tightly against Anna. She closed her hands tightly between her knees, the wind around her arousing the pressure against her palms. Elsa perked her ears towards the sound of Anna's teeth chattering loudly, and for a moment she felt a stab of guilt. This cold didn't bother her, the wind felt good, the icy needles that blasted unwelcoming against her sister's face was gladly received by Elsa.

"Here, take my shaw. It's too cold for you." Elsa said, wrapping the purple fabric over her sister's shoulder, who looked up gratefully.

"Are you sure?" Anna asked, although her gaze never left the rushing snow in front of Sven's feet for even a moment.

"This doesn't bother me at all." Elsa smiled, though quickly closed her lips together as she caught Kristoff's eyes. He looked so strongly determined that Elsa became quiet again, knowing that speaking only drove his nerves on edge.

"It was that way, i'm sure of it." Anna suddenly said, pointing her little hand towards an outcrop of rocks.

Elsa tried to focus on the shapes ahead, but the snow was so thick she couldn't make anything out. Kristoff pulled Sven back, who looked angry, as if he knew exactly where to go and needed no help getting there.

"No, it was this way. Through those trees, just ahead." Kristoff said, turning a reluctant Sven towards an invisible path ahead.

"Are you sure? We can't waste time being unsure, her brother could die." Anna said, worry so thick in her voice that she didn't sound like herself.

"I'm sure...At least I think i'm sure." Kristoff cleared his throat.

"You think? We can't-" Anna began, but Elsa cut her off.

_Enough of this,_ She thought. Waving her hand, the blizzard around them slowed greatly, clearing the path just enough so that they could see the ground drop out from underneath them just feet from Sven's hooves.

"Look, we would have gone off the edge." Elsa said, a little too angrily. Anna looked up, shocked, and Kristoff blinked. "I...please, just try and remember. Where did you find Kaija?" Elsa asked, not worrying about her sister's hurt feelings at the moment. If there was a lost person out there, she wasn't going to waste time arguing about which way to go. He could be hurt. Or worse

"I do believe it's that way." Anna pressed, pointing still to the outcrop back the way they came. When Sven didn't argue, Kristoff clicked his tongue and they galloped forward towards the pointed stones.

Sure enough, scattered snow was flicked everywhere, and horse prints littered the ground. Luckily, thick trees overhead protected this area of ground from the quickly falling snow, which Elsa had given up on trying to control. Before she could stop her, Anna climbed clumsily over Elsa's lap, getting out to look around at the ground. Kristoff joined her, and Elsa watched, wondering if she should help. _I'm still not sure if Kaija remembered correctly, we could be risking our lives for nothing._ She thought, bitterly hating herself for thinking like this.

"Over here!" Kristoff's husky voice echoed around the tree's frosted trunks, and Elsa and Anna both looked up at the same time.

"What did you find?" Anna scrambled towards his voice, and Elsa forced herself to follow them.

When she came over the hill, she found Kristoff holding something that looked like a hat, and Anna examining it closely. Elsa leaned against the tree, watching them. They talked quietly, and Elsa strained to hear before giving up, and walking back towards the sled. She slowly peeled her eyes all around the ground, searching intently for anything, any sign of direction, or in that matter, any clue that they were actually looking for someone. Yes, they had found a hat, but that could have been there for years, lost long ago.

_Flick._ A sound above made Elsa look up fast, just in time to see a dark shape thunder past a tree above her, beyond the rocky outcrop. She chewed her bottom lip, sighed, and paced quickly around the rock. Nothing.

Blinking, she shrugged, about to turn around when she heard a faint yell in the distance, sounding so far away but so clear it confused her. Could it have been Kristoff calling for her? She listened again, the sound ringing, this time louder, into her ears and making her turn back, almost running towards the tree's she saw the shape run through.

"KAAAAIIIIIIJAAAAA!" A voice echoed loudly, and Elsa spun quickly, trying to pin point where the sound was coming from. She blinked fast, snow cresting on her lashes. Flicking it away annoyed, she squinted, making out a moving shape in the distance.

"Hello? Can I help you?" Elsa said quietly, stamping her foot in annoyance as the shape moved farther away. She pelted after it, running practically full out until she stopped, dead in her tracks, gazing at the sight below.

A grown man, young, cold, and limping made his was painfully through the trees, away from her direction. His shirt was torn down his side, bruises covered his blooded ribs, and he leaned against a tree, his breaths coming short as he called.

"Kaija! Where are you?" Elsa caught her breath in her throat when she realized he was saying her name. _This must be Santein._

"Where are you? Please, I'm right here, call again and I'll hear you!" He said. Elsa felt her heart cringe in pity, he was so brave. He was obviously dangerously hurt, and yet he only thought of the little girl he sought after.

Suddenly, his eyes brightened, and he turned his head towards some trees ahead. "Kaija? Is that you?" He held his side in pain as he set off towards a sound he must have heard, and Elsa paced after him. She wanted to call to him, to tell him Kaija was fine, to stop him from hurting himself more. But every time she opened her mouth, nothing came out. She wasn't good with people.

She paced after him, and despite his condition, he moved swift, obviously in too much shock to realize the extent of his injuries. He kept straight, and Elsa chewed her lip hard. She had to say something, she couldn't just follow him until he dropped, maybe dead. The air was so thick she could barely see, and she wondered if Anna and Kristoff were worried about her. Keeping her eyes locked on him, she took a moment's break, leaning against a tree to breathe.

Without warning, a hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her backwards, spinning her so fast that she barely had time to realize what was happening. Hands pushed her thin shoulder's back hard, slamming her against the stone wall to her left. She closed her eyes tight in fear, feeling warm, exhausted breathes fume against her reddened cheeks.

"Who are you? Why are you following me?" A soft but fearful male voice spoke, and Elsa flittered her eyes open to meet a sea of deep green. Her heart pounded, so loud she would afraid he'd hear it, and so hard she feared it would burst out of her chest. The man blinked slowly, his eyes hard, determined, and sacred. She let her head fall back against the rock behind her, and catching her breath, she spoke.

"I'm Elsa. You...you must be Santein. Your sister, Kaija, we-" Before she could finish the man released the pressure against her, his eyes widening.

"Kaija? You know where she is?" He pressed, his arms now placed around her, keeping her pined against the wall.

"Yes, she's safe." Elsa breathed out. Slowly, the man's eyes softened, and he blinked once, stepping back from Elsa, allowing her stand and brush off her dress angrily. She glared at him, but her gaze melted into pity as she heard him grit his teeth in pain.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...I wasn't trying to hurt you." He puffed, grabbing his side in pain as he spoke. Elsa couldn't stay mad at him, he was in such a condition already.

"It's alright. But you should come with me. Your hurt." Elsa said awkwardly, her eyes dropping to his tattered shirt. He swallowed.

"Is Kaija where you will be taking me?" He asked eagerly, his blue lips shivering.

"Yes, she's back at my castl- at my home." She said, shifting her weight. Shaking her head, she nodded. This man needed care, and she was standing here out in a blizzard, watching him freeze. "Come on, you need help." She said gently, and walked around him, back up the slope and towards the shed.

She threw her gaze back awkwardly, trying her best to hide the looks. Should she help him? Every time she looked back, he'd fallen farther and farther behind, until she finally made the decision to walk to his side and lay his arm over her shoulder.

"Thank you." He said weakly, but she didn't answer. She had to focus on not freezing him, and talking didn't help. He wasn't very heavy, but for her small size she struggled immensely to help him back to the sled, and by the time they had gotten there she was practically carrying him. Anna and Kristoff stood huddled together, the snow whipping them about as they waited worriedly for Elsa to return. When she finally made it close to the sled, Anna looked up, whipping her gaze around to see her.

"Elsa! Oh, thank god, we were so-" Elsa saw tears pooled in Anna's eyes. Her blue gaze was fixed on Santein, and Elsa struggled towards her.

"Don't just stand there! Help me!" Elsa roared, her muscles aching. Kristoff ran to help and Anna shook herself into reality.

"Is that Santein? Where did you find him? Oh goodness, he's hurt!" Anna fussed, and Elsa felt herself almost heave as she gazed down at her now blood stained dress where the man had fell against her.

"Let's just get him back, I'll explain later." Elsa said tiredly. Kristoff slowly helped the man into the sled seat, and Elsa sat down, resting his head on her lap. He was unconscious, and worry thrummed her heart. "Come on, hurry." She pleaded to Kristoff, who clicked Sven off, dashing back towards the castle.

Thanks for reading!

Next Chapter: Who is Santein, and why exactly where him and Kaija in the forest?

Please, please comment what you think! I love constructive cridisim and want to know how you feel about whats happening!

Love,

**~ OncerRevolution**


	5. How Hard Can it Be

**** I just wanted to thank you guys for reading! Please, please continue to, I love feedback and followers! Comment anything, thoughts, ideas, questions! Thank you so much for the comments already, it's driving me to write more and more!****

**Shout out to honeydewmelon56 for giving me tips and being an amazing, supportive friend :3 Your awesome!**

**Chapter 5**

**How hard Can It Be**

_***hours later***_

"Elsa, who was that woman that was with you when we first brought Kaija here? When did she get here?" Elsa looked up tiredly at Anna's voice, who sat in a satin chair in the corner of the bedroom. Elsa sat on the edge of the bed, looking down a the man who lay there, still unconscious. His breathing came steady, but he had lost so much blood.

For a moment, Elsa didn't answer. She couldn't just come right out with it, how their mother had lied to them both, and how she had kept it from Anna too. She thought for a moment, sighed, and settled on pretending she hadn't heard the question. She knew she'd only ask again, but at least it gave her another moment to think.

"She seems very nice." Anna pressed on, hoping Elsa would speak. She rested her chin on the window seal, but Elsa could still feel her eyes buring into the back of her shoulders.

"Elsa?" Anna asked again, this time her voice thick with sympathy. "Why don't you go get some sleep? I'll look after him a while."

At least she had dropped the subject. "Are you sure?" Elsa asked, but her eyes slid down lazily, and she stood, already planning on leaving.

"Yes." Anna replied gently. She took Elsa's place, and gazed at the fire crackling on the opposite wall. She sat softly on the bed, crossing her arms over her knees.

"Thank you." Elsa smiled, and headed for the door. She left the room, pulling the door closed softly. For a moment, she stood still, leaning her head against the door. Her eyes fell shut, and let out a long sigh.

Moments passed before she flicked her eye lids open, keeping herself from falling asleep right there. She wanted to go to bed, but she couldn't shake the feeling of looking in on Anna once more. Slowly, she turned the handle, cracked the door and peeked in.

Her eyes fell to Anna, who's face was buried in her palms, resting on her knees that she had brought up to her chest. She cried softly, and Elsa watched as she wiped her nose on her sleeve, sniffed, and began to cry again.

Elsa wanted to say something. Anything, really. How hard could it be to walk right in and ask her sister what was wrong? How selfish could she be, standing here, watching her sister break down? What kind of Queen was she? She couldn't even handle the pressure of asking someone what was wrong.

A tug on her dress made her gasp, and she jumped backwards, so startled that she didn't know if she had made a sound or not. She whipped her gaze around, until it fell quickly to the floor. There stood little Kaija, wide eyed, fingers twirling the ends of her new dress that Kaiesh must have supplied her with.

"What's wrong, Ms. Elsa?" Her sweet little voice asked, as innocently as a newborn baby. "Why are you out here all alone?"

She had done it. She had come up to Elsa, not a single lick of selfishness in her body. She had walked right up and openly asked her what was wrong. This little girl, so sweetly and innocently, had just shown Elsa how easy it was to show someone you really care.

Elsa looked kindly down at her. "I wasn't alone, Kaija, I was just in that room with my sister and your brother. Why are you out of bed?" Elsa bent to the child's level, who now had her arms crossed and chewed her lip.

"I couldn't sleep, Ms. Elsa. I tried to, but I can't stop thinking about Santein." Her little voice croaked, and Elsa smiled.

"You can just call me Elsa. And your brother is going to be fine." She tried not to show how unsure she was. Santein was dangerously hurt

"Elsa?" Kaija asked after a moment of silence, taking a step towards her.

"Yes?" Elsa asked, looking into her big brown eyes.

"Why do you wear that pretty thing on your head?" Her eyes trailed over it's crystals, and Elsa laughed.

"I'm the Queen, Kaija. I have to wear it, it's kind of a rule." Elsa said quietly, and Kaija's eyes opened wide.

"Your...a Queen?" Her little jaw dropped, and she took steps back. She looked scared.

"Yes, that doesn't make me scary, does it?" Elsa asked, eyeing Kaija curoiusly.

"No, Queen Elsa, of-of course not." She chewed her lip nervously.

"Please sweetie, call me Elsa." She stood slowly, and walked over to the little girl. Elsa was surprised to find herself pushing Kaija's little brown curls away from her eyes. "But being Queen doesn't mean I'm any different. We can be friends." She smiled.

Kaija swallowed, eyeing her bare toes awkwardly. Elsa mentally hit herself. She was scaring the poor kid.

"Look, this may help." She reached up slowly, removed her crown, and laid it gently on the little girl's head. Kaija's brown eyes flickered up to Elsa's and she slowly moved her hands to trace the crown's ridges. It was too big for her, and sat lopsided on her little head, but Kaija beamed. "Now your the Queen." Elsa smiled.

Kaija giggled, and Elsa felt her heart warm at her sweet little laugh. Widening her eyes, Elsa thought. "Look, come with me." She stood, and walked slowly towards a huge, open window on the other side of the hall. Looking out, the night sky was coevered with clouds, only allowing the full moon to sho bits and peices of its full self. She looked at her own reflection in the glass and rolled her eyes. Turning to look down at Kaija who walked up quietly, she smiled. "What do you think?" Elsa opened her hand towards the window, and Kaija looked up nervously before looking at herself in the glass.

She starred for a long time, tracing the crown with little fingers. "I look pretty, like you."

Elsa found herself smiling at this. "No," She bent down and straightened Kaija's dress. "You look even prettier, My Queen." Elsa did a small, playfully curtsy, and Kaija giggled loudly. "But I think it's time for you to get back to bed."

Kaija's eyes dimmed, and she frowned. "Alright. But...Elsa?" She asked.

"Yes?"

"Could I maybe...wear the crown to bed?"

Elsa smiled. "Of course, as long as you take good care of it." She said sternly.

"I will. Oh, I will, Elsa. I'll take care of it, just like you are taking care of my brother." Kaija yawned, and sleepily walked back towards a closed door down the hall.

"Goodnight." Elsa whispered to her, watching as Kaija removed the crown from her head and held it tightly against her chest. The little girl smiled and closed the door.

When the door closed, Elsa turned back to the glass. She stared at her hands, chewed her lips, and forced herself to turn back to the door where Anna and Santein were. She walked slowly, tapping her fingers anxiously against her legs. How was it so easy for Kaija to ask her what was wrong? The child barely knew her.

Sighing heavily, Elsa cracked the door once more, looking in. Anna wasn't crying any longer, but had her head hung heavily. By the light of the fire, Elsa could barely make out lines of tears that had only recently stopped trailing down Anna's cheeks.

When she stepped in, Anna turned around, her blue eyes lighting in surprise. She didn't speak, just searched Elsa for as to why she was there. Elsa starred back, thinking hard about what to say. Why was this so hard! What was wrong with her? _Just ask her what's wrong! Your a Queen, why is this so hard for you? _She screamed at herself in her head. Clearing her throat, she went on a ledge. Why not just ask the way Kaija did?

"What's...what's wrong?" Elsa forced out, fluttering her eyes up to meet Anna's gaze. Anna opened her mouth to speak, but closed it. It had always been Anna who asked Elsa what was wrong, not Elsa asking her, never like this.

Anna looked as if she wanted to confide in her, but she cleared her throat. "I...I thought you were going to bed." Anna said quietly, turning back to look at Santein, away from Elsa's eyes. Elsa suddenly felt pity for her sister, not just because of her somber voice, but because of how used she was to it. Because she knew that Anna expected her to just leave, to shut her out, to not care or to not show that she cared why she was hurt. Elsa gritted her teeth at the thought. _I'm done shutting people out._ She walked over next to Anna, taking a seat beside her and looking at the floor.

"I was, but...I just wanted to check on you." Elsa forced out again, this time the words coming a little easier.

Anna looked sideways at her, surprised to find Elsa's comfort. Not taking a chance on loosing it, she spoke. "I was just thinking...what would have happened to her, Elsa?" Anna turned and grabbed Elsa's hands, looking deeply into her eyes. "What would have happened if we hadn't found her? She'd have died." She shook her head. "And if you hadn't found him? They'd have both froze to death." Her voice quivered.

Elsa looked down at her sister's and her own hands, intertwined. She was right. It wasn't that hard.

"I don't think we should think about that. What matter's is you did find her, we did find them, and we will do our best to give them care as long as they need it." Elsa finally said, squeezing Anna's hand gently.

Anna looked up at her and blinked. Elsa understood. She was thanking her. Thanking her for finally, the first time in forever, stepping up and showing that she cared. She was thanking her for finally being the big sister Anna had always needed.

Thanks for reading! Your amazing :)

I'll update soon! Maybe tomorrow 3

**Love,**

**OncerRevolution**


	6. Motherly Need

**Chapter 6**

**Motherly Need**

When Elsa awoke, she had to squeeze her eyes shut tight. Bright light filtered in through burgendy curtains, opened at just the right angle to shine morning light right into her eyes. Huffing in annoyance, she turned, shoving her head back into her pillow. _Please sleep_, She thought. _Please come back. _A quiet little giggle made her sigh heavily.

Too late.

Sitting up, she stretched, coughing lightly. She blinked her eyes open, locking them on her cracked door. Didn't she close it last night?

Raising a brow, she stretched once more, swinging her legs over the side of her bed. Another laugh made her perk her attention to her closet, and she smiled.

"I know your in there. You can come out from hiding now." Elsa said, her voice airy and light.

"Shhhh! I'm hiding from Anna!" A little whisper escaped from the closet.

"Ah, well, I'll be sure not to tell her where you are, then." Elsa winked at a peeping little face, whose eyes were stricken with determination at not being found.

Ignoring her slightly annoying giggles, Elsa padded over to her desk, sat, and began to brush her hair. As she brushed, she hummed, pulling her light hair into a loose braid, flowing gently to her mid-back. Laying her brush back down, she slid her hand over to the corner of her desk, searching to find her crown.

"Kaija? Could I have my crown back now?" Elsa turned, and the little girl stuck her face back out through a small crack in the door, her cheeks puffed up from being squished.

"That's just it, Elsa. Anna said I could only have it back if I _win_. Now, be quiet...please!" Kaija smacked her lips together and pulled the door shut.

"She took it from you?" Elsa asked curiously.

Kaija peeked her head back out and nodded quickly, laying a finger on her lips.

Elsa rolled her eyes. Anna couldn't resist playing games. Ever.

"Well then, you better win, because I need it." Elsa said playfully, walking over to the closet and pulling the door open. Little Kaija threw her an angered gaze.

"I'm gonna loose if she see's me! Close the door Elsa!" She tucked herself behind a dress that hung in the corner of the closet, and Elsa sighed.

"I have to get dressed, sweetie. Can't you hide under my bed?" Elsa pointed to her bed, set in the middle of the room. "It's a great place to hide."

Huffing, Kaija crawled on all fours to the door, peeked out, and dashed across the room. Elsa quietly pulled the door closed, and turned back to look at her choices. _Nothing_, Elsa thought. Suddenly, she flicked her eyes to a particular blue dress, shimmering in the light that came through a crack in the closet door. She smiled.

"It' been a while since I had you on." Pulling the dress off the hanger, she slipped off her night gown and shimmied into it. Cool to her skin, she felt a chill run down her spine. She _made_ this dress. It wasn't like the others hanging around her, made of fabric and thread. This was _hers_, something that she had designed, created, produced.

"Kaija? Are you in here?" Elsa was torn from her thoughts at her sister's voice.

"Kaija?" Anna whispered, and Elsa heard a shrill giggle sound. Sneakily, Elsa snuck to the door of her closet, cracked it, and looked out.

Anna tiptoed lightly across the room, her freckled, red cheeks wrapped into a smile. She pretended she hadn't heard Kaija's giggle, and walked aimlessly around Elsa's room, her hands behind her back. "Oh Kaija? Where are you?" Her voiced was pitched up playfully, and Elsa saw her eyes light up when Kaija's laugh echoed from under her bed. Anna turned fast.

"Got cha!" Falling to her stomach, Elsa couldn't suppress a silent laugh as her sister stuck her head under her bed, laughing hysterically as Kaija screamed in delight. Anna retreated from under the bed, jumping onto it, followed gingerly by Kaija. Struggling to climb up, Anna helped her, and the child squealed as Anna tickled her lightly.

"You thought you could hide from me, silly? I'm the best hide n' seeker in Arendelle!" Anna said playfully. Kaija stood up, only as tall as Anna's head, even though she was sitting down.

Kaija crossed her arms, trying to make herself looked disappointed. "But Ms. Anna! I want the crown, thats not fair! You...you cheated!" Kaija coldn't hold in her giggles, and pounced on Anna, knocking her back wards.

"Cheated?! I'd never!" Anna laughed, and picked Kaija up, holding her in the air. Shrill laughs curled around the room as Kaija screamed.

"I want a rematch!" Kaija pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. Anna set her down, pulling her into her lap.

"All right, you can have the crown," Anna said. "You're lucky, I don't usually forfit, missy!" Anna teased, tapping Kaija's nose, who giggled.

"You're just saying that 'cause you lost." Kaija grinned a wide small.

"Yeah yeah, you caught me..."

Elsa realized she was practically hanging out of the closet. Stepping out, she cleared her throat, and Anna looked up, startled.

"Elsa! You scared me!" Anna said with wide eyes, laughing.

"She didn't scare me, 'cause I don't get scared." Kaija said matter-o-factly. Anna looked at Elsa with love struck eyes, then looked back to Kaija.

"I know you don't. Now, why don't you go get dressed, and I'll come get you for breakfast?" Anna said as she grabbed the brush from Elsa's desk and gently tugged it through Kaija's curls.

"Alrighty." Kaija said, sliding down from the bed and walking to the door. Before she left, she turned back to Elsa.

"You didn't tell her where I was, did you?" Her little eyes glowed.

"Of course not." Elsa winked, and Kaija giggled before walking out the door.

"Isn't she wonderful?" Anna said, standing from Elsa's bed and turning to make it up.

"She is very sweet." Elsa nodded, walking to the other side and grabbing the sheets, helping Anna tuck them into each other.

"Kristoff thinks so too. Of course, she hasn't warmed up to him as much yet, but she will." Anna hummed.

"Warmed up to him?" Elsa asked curiously, waiting for Anna to meet her gaze.

"Yeah." Anna looked up. "But she will in time. I do believe she'll love it here." Anna said before going back to straighten the pillows.

"Anna..." Elsa said, and Anna met her eyes.

"When her brother is healed, they must be returned to their home. You do realize that, don't you?" Elsa saw her sister's eyes harden.

"I...yes, of course I know that." Anna said bitterly. She slammed the pillow she was fluffing down, turning to leave.

"I didn't mean-" Elsa said.

Anna turned around. "Ya wanna know something? Whenever you wear that dress, you seem to think only of yourself." Tears flooded her eyes.

Elsa looked down, before dragging her gaze back up to Anna's. "Anna, I'm just protecting you. Don't fall in love with a child that isn't yours." Elsa said, pity streaming from her words.

Anna gritted her teeth. "Oh, what do you know about children?" She stormed out, slamming the door.

Anger made her head pound, and she felt her hands jolt. "No." She said, using all her strength to hold back the ice in her palms. After a moment, she angrily finished making her bed, before sitting on it, sighing heavily.

"Every time I try to care for someone, I just mess things up." She said quietly to herself.

* * *

Please comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts! What do you think of little Kaija? She's quite the fire ball ;)

Thanks for reading, lovies!

Love,

OncerRevolution


	7. Breakfast

**Chapter 7**

** Breakfast**

That same morning, Elsa finally found the courage to leave her room after her and her sister's fight. Standing, she walked slowly towards the open curtain, took one last look out, and pulled it shut. She left her room, pacing the halls and coming to the room where Santein rested. Worry tickled her chest as she knocked on the door and no one answered. Surely someone was watching him? He couldn't be left alone. Chewing her lip, she cracked the door, gazing inside warily before stepping inside.

Silently, she walked to the edge of the bed, looking softly down at the man who lay there. For a moment, she let her eyes explore his face. His cheek bones gently curved into a rugged chin, and a small nose sat atop thin lips. He was shirtless, but only his shoulders were revealed because of bandages wrapped tightly around his middle. The bed covers tucked around him tightly, and he looked oddly comfortable. She felt pity for him, his thin shoulders stuck out from under his pale skin. She thought back to their brief conversation in the forest, and she couldn't pull the image of his shocking blue eyes out of her head.

Why had they been out there? How brave he was to not worry about himself, to go looking for his little sister. _I wonder why they were in the woods. It's too cold at this time to travel._

Without warning, Elsa felt a cool hand on her shoulder. She spun around, and before she could even think to stop it, ice shot from her hand. Elsa breathed heavily, eyes wide with terror, her hand gripped into a tight fist.

"Goodness dear, I didn't mean to give you such a fright." Danesk's soft voice cooed from Elsa's right side, and Elsa looked at her angrily.

"I'm sorry, you scared me." She sat through tight lips, her arm quivering.

Danesk looked at Elsa's tense hand, which she still held out towards the wall. Ice clung heavily off the wall, sharp icicles pointing in random directions. Blue and white swirls decorated the floor and wall paper, so thick Elsa couldn't tell what the wall's color should be. Blinking, Elsa slowly retreated her hand, composing herself. Feeling hot under Danesk's eyes, she turned back to look at Santein.

"What's bothering you, dear? You're obviously on edge." Danesk said, and Elsa bit her lip. Even the woman who was locked up for half her life could speak to people better than Elsa.

"Nothing, I'm fine." Elsa said half heartedly.

Elsa heard a slight sigh spill from Danesk's lips. "How I would love to have your courage, Elsa."

Not quite sure what she meant by this, Elsa looked up at her. "Courage?" She asked.

"Why yes, courage. You're very good at keeping to yourself. That's a brave thing." Danesk said, but Elsa raised a brow.

This was new. All Elsa could remember was how angry Anna got when she kept to herself, when she shut everyone out. "I don't think it's brave." Elsa said quietly. "It's just what I'm used to."

"Shutting people out? Well, dear, it's a brave thing. But not the smartest." Danesk said, and Elsa felt a perk of annoyance. Did she have to point it out so blatantly? She decided to keep quiet, and felt her cheeks burn under Danesk's gaze.

Elsa sighed. She might as well try to open up. "Anna and I had a fight." She said quietly.

Danesk met her eyes. "Fight's can be a good thing, sometimes. You're both stressed out."

"But it was my fault. I always say the wrong thing." Elsa said, gritting her teeth.

"It takes time to learn how to deal with things, Elsa." Danesk said.

Elsa bit her lip. She didn't really know what to think of Danesk. It wasn't that she didn't like her. She did, Danesk was kind. But she was stubborn, a lot like Elsa's mother. But she couldn't help but feel a bit of relief. Like everyone, Elsa had shut her mother out. Danesk was the closest thing she had to a mother now, and she swallowed. It felt good to speak. To _really_ speak. To let it go.

Danesk sighed again, and Elsa awkwardly adjusted her bangs, which fell into her eyes. For once she thanked them for being there, they hid her eyes, which otherwise she would have to meet Danesk's with.

Elsa looked up suddenly as Danesk paced around towards Santein. She sat on the edge of the bed, and put her small hand against his forehead. "His fever's down." She reported.

Elsa felt a wave of relief, like the way she felt when she finally got to unclasp a tight dress that she had worn all day. "That's good. Hopefully he'll make a speedy recovery."

As she said this, Danesk looked up and into her eyes. "Surely you're planning on taking precaution as to why they were out in the forest? Especially at this time of year."

Elsa blinked. _Of course_, she thought. Of _course I'm supposed to worry about a total stranger_. "I was planning on that, yes." Elsa said awkwardly.

"You're the Queen, and no matter if they came from another realm or not, you must make sure they are well cared for while resting in Arendelle." Danesk said, almost dumbly. Elsa bit her lip. She knew this, she'd been Queen for over two years now. "Why do you want these people gone?"

Elsa blinked. She couldn't answer that. Why did she want them gone so much? "I don't want them gone….I just, I have a Kingdom to worry about. I have my sister to worry about. And on top of everything else I have _this_ to worry about." Elsa said, raising her hands slightly. "I'd just be more comfortable if I didn't have to worry about more people." Elsa said hotly.

"Oh yes, _you'd_ be more comfortable." Danesk said, staring into Elsa's eyes.

Right as Elsa was about to respond, she heard a groan from Santein. She stretched her sight to his scrunched face, watching with wide eyes. Danesk lay a hand on his and spoke gently. "Shhh, you're OK. Try not to move too much."

Santein's eyes fluttered open, and he blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to what he was seeing. He turned his head slowly, looking around the room. Soon, his gaze swept to Elsa's and she held his eyes for a moment. "Where am I?" He asked, his voice thick and confused.

Elsa spoke softly. "You're in Arendelle. The Queen's castle, to be exact."

Santein squinted his eyes at Danesk's hand on his, and he set up. Rubbing his eyes, he looked down at his wrapped side. Suddenly, his attention flew to the door, and he gasped. "Where's Kaija?"

Elsa looked back at the door, suddenly feeling awkward. If he wanted to see Kaija, it'd mean she'd have to go and find her. And she was with Anna.

"She's here in the castle. Would you like us to retrieve her?" Danesk asked.

Santein nodded quickly. "Yes," He said fast. "Please."

Danesk looked back, and Elsa chewed her inner lip. _Wonderful_, she thought. Nodding, she turned towards the door, pulling it open. Her eyes fluttered to the ice on the wall, and she froze. What if he saw this? Trying to be subtle, she looked back at the bed, sighing with relief to see that Santein had laid back down, his eyes closed. Quickly, she raised her palm to lift the ice off the walls.

After leaving the bedroom, Elsa walked slowly through the castle halls, pacing lightly down the spiraled stairs and into the dining hall. When she opened the door, she was happy to find little Kaija sitting at the very end. The little girl looked up at Elsa, crumbs layering her pink lips. She smiled.

"Elfsa! Come haf sum brakfast! If's yummy!" She said through a mouthful of bagel.

Elsa giggled. Gazing around slowly, she made sure Anna wasn't around, and walked quietly over to her. "I'm glad you like it. But I'll have something a little later, OK?"

Kaija laid her bagel down and finished chewing. "Alright, but you're missin' out."

Elsa met her little brown eyes. "Your brother's awake. Would you like to come see him?"

The little girl's eyes widened, and she dropped her jaw, her lips drawing into a huge grin. "Santein!" She jumped up, running towards the door.

"Kaija, wait-" Elsa reached out for her, but turned to see Anna coming back through the doors. She met Elsa's eyes, and just as Anna always had, she smiled sweetly, forgiveness pouring from her eyes. That quickly, Anna had forgiven her. Elsa smiled softly back.

"What's happened?" She said, holding a plate full of fruit and two glasses of orange juice.

"Santein's all better!" kaija jumped in place.

Anna looked back to Elsa. "He's awake?" She asked excitedly.

"Yes, he's asked to see Kaija." Elsa stood and walked towards Kaija and Anna, holding her palms together and relaxing them against her lap.

"Go ahead." Anna smiled down at the anxious little girl, who squealed and grabbed her hand. Anna rocked unsteady, barely setting the plate full of food on the table before Kaija dragged her out the door. Elsa smiled, following them. She had to walk quickly, little Kaija was practically running as she pulled Anna along. When they made it back to the door, Elsa stepped in front of them, kneeling to look into Kaija's eyes.

"Your brother is better, but he's not completely healed, Kaija. Do you think you can be calm around him? He's just woken up." Elsa said gently.

"Yes! Yes, I can Elsa. I promise." She lay her palms on Elsa's shoulders, looking into her eyes. "Can we go in now? Please?"

Elsa sighed, opening the door quietly to let Kaija run through. A soon as the little girl laid eyes on Santein, she screamed, running and jumping flat out on top of him.

"ooof!" He let out a huff of air. Sitting up, he allowed Kaija to sit in his lap, and she snuggled her little head into the crest of his neck.

"Santein! I missed you." Her little voice squeaked, and he smiled through the pain of her little body against his hurt side.

"I missed you too. Are you OK? I don't know what got into Camanchi. Did he throw you?" He asked, concern in his eyes.

"Oh no, I held on tight. But he went so fast Santein, I couldn't stay on. It wasn't his fault, don't be made at him." She said quietly.

"Don't worry, I'm not mad at him." He said softly, pulling her curls out of her eyes.

She kissed his cheek. "Ms. Anna and Ms. Elsa saved you. Oh, and Kristoff too, he carried you in here. I saw him, he's really strong." Kaija said, rambling as Santein put a hand up to stop her.

"Who?" He asked, looking up at the faces around him. Elsa kept her lips shut tight, but Anna spoke.

"Kristoff, he's my-" She stopped, looking at Elsa with laughing eyes and then back to Santein. "He's my boyfriend." She said, smiling at Kaija. "I'm Anna, this is Elsa, and this is…" She stopped as her eyes combed Danesk.

"This is Danesk. She's helping care for you." Elsa jumped in, and Santein looked up at her.

"How did I get back here?" He asked, not sure rather to believe Kaija or not.

"We found you in the forest. Well, Elsa found you. She brought you back to our sled, and we brought you back here. You were unconscious, so Kristoff had to carry you in." Anna said, her bubbly voice sounding off the walls. "Before that, Kristoff and I found Kaija. We didn't even know to look for you until she told us."

Santein smiled at her, then looked to Elsa. "Thank you. You saved our lives." He spoke softly, and Elsa nodded, but didn't speak. What could she say?

"It's really not a bother. Were just glad you're OK." Danesk said for her, and Elsa threw her a thankful glance.

Anna looked sideways at Danesk, before sitting herself on the edge of the bed. "Kaija told us you were from Arkinvale."

Santein's expression went blank. He cleared his throat, looking at Kaija. "Yes….we were. But we decided to leave." He said, his voice trailing lowly.

Anna went to ask why, but Elsa stepped forward, surprising herself. "Kaija, why don't we let your brother rest now?" She said to the little girl.

Kaija sighed gently, ruffled her brother's hair, and clamored off of him. "You're right, Elsa. Our patient needs rest. But I also think he needs some breakfast, like you." Kaija held her hands to her hips. "How can you take of him on an empty stomach?"

Elsa playfully rolled her eyes. "Alright. Why don't you, Anna and I go prepare him some? I'll eat something then."

Kaija nodded. "Good." She hummed loudly as she grabbed Anna's hand once again, pulling her out the door and down the stairs.

* * *

What do you think? We haven't really met Santein yet, but I think you'll like him :) Kaija is always ready for the next thing, sin't she?

Thank's for reading!

_**Love, **_

_**OncerRevolution**_


	8. Talk Talk Talk

***This chapter has a tiny bit of sensitive content. Nothing much or in detail at all, but just, yeah***

**Chapter 8**

**Talk talk Talk**

"Elsa, could you get that glass for me please?" Kaija said, eagerly pointing a glass that sat on the counter before them both. Kaija's short leg's didn't supply her the height she needed to reach the cup.

"Sure. Be careful, don't break it." Elsa warned. Kaija nodded.

Slowly, Elsa picked up the glass, concentrating furiously, she hadn't put her gloves on this morning. She didn't necessarily need them, she had gotten much better at controlling her magic. But something about little Kaija made her nervous. Or was it nerves? Maybe it was a feeling of protection. Not to protect herself, but to protect the little girl beside her. Kaija took it happily, and humming as she went, padded over to a corner of the kitchen and began drying the glass.

Going back to laying grapes out on a plate, Elsa slid her gaze over to Anna. She knew her red-headed sister had forgiven her for her words earlier, but she still felt the need to apologize. All her life she had kept everything from Anna, apologies and all. After all, wasn't she trying to learn to open up more? Taking one last glass over to Kaija to make sure she was occupied, Elsa took a deep breath.

"If you're going to say something to me," Anna teased, her lips curling into a smile as she dried a plate and looked pitifully at Elsa. "You don't have to be so nervous. What's up?"

Elsa looked up at her, embarrassed. Of course Anna knew she wanted to speak to her. Anna knew her so well, no matter that they had really only started bonding just over a year ago. "I was just going to….to apologize, for what I said earlier." Elsa swallowed. Anna's face softened, but she didn't speak. "I'm trying. I really am." Elsa met her eyes. "I just can't seem to say anything right."

Anna laid her dry hand on Elsa's shoulder. "The fact that you're trying means more to me than any apology ever could."

Elsa felt a wave of relief. How was she so lucky? She didn't deserve a sister like this. And she hoped to tell Anna that one day, that she shouldn't have been so blessed to be related to her. But that was a little too deep for Elsa at the moment.

"But you were right." Anna continued. "I shouldn't fall in love with a child who isn't mine. She most likely won't be here long." Elsa could hear the desperation in her sister's voice. This wasn't how Anna really thought, she loved children. Especially Kaija, Elsa could tell. But she was trying to look at it through Elsa's eyes. "I just can't wait to have children. Kristoff says so too, says that one day we will have children of our own."

Elsa almost choked. The thought of her little sister, her Anna having children almost took her breath away. Of course Anna wanted children, and of course Elsa wanted her to be a mother one day. But Elsa had just gotten used to the devotion and dedication it took to be Anna's older sister, and in many ways she felt like they were children again. She felt that she was making up lost time, and if Anna planned on a family, how could Elsa fit in? _Stop it_, she thought. _It's not about you._

"I guess it's alright for me to tell you this. Kristoff and I…we haven't exactly…" Anna bit her lip and looked innocently up at Elsa. Elsa knew exactly what she meant, and she felt a bubble of anticipation form in her stomach. She'd never talked about this with her sister. "We've talked about it, but just never….you know." She was glad when Anna shook her head and moved on. "Anyways, I said that when we get married, we can have as many children as we want. He wants a son, of course." Anna laughed, and Elsa formed a smile. "I wouldn't mind either way."

"You'll be a wonderful mother, Anna." She smiled, but raised an eyebrow. "When the time comes. Don't rush it." Elsa said gently.

"I know, I know. It's just-" Anna started off, but Kaija abruptly interrupted her.

"Elsa, is Santein's food ready?" Elsa looked down at the plate of eggs, grapes and toast. She had asked the staff to let her prepare it herself, these guest's were special. Kaiesh had given her a very dark glare and nodded with a 'tut tut, the Queen's preparing food now?' and Elsa had pretended to not have heard.

"Yes, it's ready." She smiled down at the little girls rosy cheeks. For a moment, she remembered how pale her cheeks were when Elsa first met her. She wasn't alive when she was first laid on Elsa's lap.

"Have you eaten anything?" Kaija crossed her arms, her brown eyes sparking.

Elsa popped a grape in her mouth. "I have now." She smiled down at the little girl, and Kaija giggled.

"Well come on then, he's hungry." Little brown curls bobbled up and down as she led the Queen and princess back to Santein's room. When they arrived, Kaija knocked gently, and the door swung open. Elsa saw Anna smile out of the corner of her eye.

Walking in, Kaija grabbed the edge of the tray with sticky little hands. "Could I give it to him?"

Elsa looked over to Anna, who instinctively took the tray from Elsa. "Of course, I'll help you." Elsa felt a stab of guilt. She still didn't trust herself enough to keep her magic a secret from strangers. She wasn't necessarily worried about scaring them. She just couldn't squash the fear of hurting them.

"Thanks. We really appreciate this." Santein said, sitting up. He hissed through the pain, finally settling himself upward.

"Here," Anna said, taking a pillow and gently propping his back up with it. Santein smiled, and Kaija sat on the edge of the bed.

"We'll let you settle, then." Danesk said, and Elsa watched Anna eye her once more. _Not yet_, she thought. _I can't let her know just yet._

"I don't want to leave." Kaija whinned. "Anna, can we stay in here and let him rest? Just, ya know, watch him in case he needs somethin'?"

Anna looked at Elsa, a flicker of pain in her eyes. "You can stay, sweetie. But I have to...Elsa can stay with you." Anna said, her voice blunt. Elsa knew she was trying to space herself from the little girl.

"No, Anna that's really all right." Elsa said, clearing her throat. She didn't want to watch Santein, Kaija would be fine in here on her own. They were siblings anyways, if Santein needed something, Kaija could just come get her.

"Please?" Anna said, a little more desperation in her voice that she must have intended. It worked.

"Fine." Elsa swallowed. "I'll stay."

'Thank you.' Anna mouthed to her, and Elsa flicked her eyes towards to the floor.

When her sister and Danesk left, Elsa settled on awkwardly sitting in the chair by the window. Kaija and Santein talked, and Elsa tried not to listen. She tried not to hear the words they said, the giggles they shared. She even pretended to fall asleep, hoping she didn't look to conspicuous.

"When they brought you back here, what happened?" Santein asked Kaija through a mouthful of grapes.

"They left me with ms. Kaiesh, she's pretty nice. But not as nice as Anna." Kaija said, and Elsa had to force herself not to smile. "And then they ran out to find you. Anna promised me she'd find you, and she kept her promise."

"That's nice." Santein said.

"And Ms. Elsa is realy nice too. She let me wear her crown." Kaija said, and Elsa heard confusion in Santein's voice.

"Crown? What for?"

"She's the Queen. But not a scary Queen, we already talked about that." Little Kaija said, and Elsa imagined her brown eyes being very casual.

"Queen?" Santein said, obviously shocked.

"Yeah, the Queen of this castle. And Anna is a princess. She's also my new best friend." Kaija said.

"I didn't know they were royals." Santein said, and Elsa held her breath. "You did take care of her crown, didn't you?" Elsa heard him smile.

"Of course! I'm not a baby!" Kaija said loudly.

"I know, I know. I was only making sure." Santein said in a father-like voice. There was a long silence, and Elsa continued to act asleep. She wasn't trying to snoop, she just didn't want to have to speak. _I'm not shutting them out_, she thought, trying to defend herself.

"I think Ms. Elsa is asleep." Kaija said quietly, and Elsa could hear her little feet patter across the floor.

"Don't wake her, Kaija. She's probably tired, taking care of you all day." Santein said teasingly.

Elsa heard the feet stop. "She wasn't taking of me, Anna was." The little girl pointed out, clearly not getting what he was implying.

"Well I'm sure being a Queen is a lot of work." Elsa held her breath. She hadn't ever heard anyone voice their concern for her and her sanity. Of course Anna would ask what was wrong every now and then, but this was new. No one had ever showed such compassion towards her without knowing her. Other than little Kaija, of course.

Kaija didn't seem to want to listen. "Ms. Elsa?" Her little feet moved again, and Elsa suddenly felt her little breath on her nose. "Are you asleep?"

Elsa's heart pounded. Should she pretend to wake up? Before she could even decide, a little hand tapped her shoulder. "Elsa?"

For a moment, Elsa was drug back in time. All those years ago, little Anna had knocked on Elsa's door, asking for her. She had wanted so badly to answer, to call out and tell her she was there, she was listening. But instead she had told her to go away. _Not this time_, Elsa thought.

Fluttering her eyes open, she sat up, giving a fake yawn to add to the effect. "I'm up. Sorry, I must have fallen asleep." She looked at Kaija, who had a big grin resting on her lips.

"That's OK. Santein and I were just wondering if you were awake." When Kaija said his name, Elsa could feel the burn of his eyes on her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, I asked her not to wake you." Santein said, and Elsa looked up at him.

"It's, it's really alright." She answered, smiling softly. For some reason, her heart still hadn't stopped pounding.

"Kaija, come back over here. Let Elsa go back to sleep." Santein said, and Elsa felt a chill run down her arm when he said her name. Nothing gave her chills.

"No, she's fine. I shouldn't sleep anyways, It's rude of me. I'm sorry." Elsa said, not able to hold his sight anymore in fear her heart would explode. She looked back to Kaija. "What's the matter? Do you need something?" The little girl looked intently at her.

"You're just very pretty, Elsa. I hope I look like you when I grow up." Elsa blushed. She appreciated her comment, but she felt embarrassed in front of Santein. She didn't know what to say to the little girl. "Could you braid my hair like your's?"

Elsa caught her breath in her throat. Braid her hair? With her hands? She couldn't risk it. Touching people was still new to her, and she couldn't trust her fingers fully yet. If she let it slip, let it show, if she hurt Kaija...No, she wasn't risking that. "I didn't braid it, Kaija..." She started, but the little girl pressed.

"Yes you did, I saw you this morning." Her innocent little eyes blinked, and Elsa swallowed hard.

"Kaija." Santein suddenly spoke, his voice deep and serious. "She said no."

Elsa saw sadness in Kaija' eyes. "I'm sorry, Elsa." She tapped her little hand on Elsa's shoulder and then padded back to Santein, shoulders slumped.

"I'll braid it for you in the morning, OK?" Elsa promised before she even thought.

Kaija lit up. "Really?"

"Yes. I just think it's better to wait until after you've bathed." Elsa said.

"It's getting late anyways, maybe it's time for bed." Santein said.

"But I don't wanna!" Kaija said, crossing her arms in defiance.

"Go on, now." Santein smiled at Kaija, and Elsa stood up. If Kaija left, she'd be alone with Santein.

"Not yet!" Elsa said loudly, and Santein looked at her curiously. She scrunched her palms awkwardly. "I mean, you can't go to sleep without saying good night to your brother, of course."

Kaija smirked at Santein, clearly happy she got to stay up for a even a second longer. "Good night, Santein." She kissed his forehead. "Maybe you'll be all better in the morning."

"Maybe. You've taken good care of me, so I probably will be." He turned and looked up at Elsa, winking. She forced a small laugh, but it came out flat.

"Good night, Elsa." Kaija waved at her, and Elsa walked to the door.

"Here, I'll help you to bed." She wanted desperately to get out, to ask Anna to take over now.

"No, no, no." Kaija pushed her back, so suddenly that Elsa fell back against the bed rest. "You have to watch Santein. And I want Anna to help me, anyways."

Before Elsa could reply, Kaija waved sneakily to them both, giggled, and ran out the door.

"She's...not the best listener." Santein said, and Elsa looked at him. She blinked in response, and he laughed.

_Wonderful_, Elsa thought. _Just wonderful._

* * *

Sorry it's kind of a long chapter! Hope you enjoy it :)

Comment please! Any thoughts?

**Love ya! Thanks for reading!**


	9. First Night

**Chapter 9**

**First Night**

Elsa felt bright eyes burning into the back of her skull. She wanted to adjust herself, for she still leaned awkwardly against the bed post, gripping it so hard that her nails made cuts into the wood. She heard Santein move slightly, and she took the opportunity to swing herself up. Using her hand to stand, she tried to make it look effortless. A little _too_ effortless.

Before she could realize where she was headed, she found herself sprawled on the floor, her legs sticking out awkwardly in front of her. _Stop it! You're acting like Anna!_ Elsa thought, embarrassment flushing her cheeks as she finally stood up straight. Santein's lip were shut tight together, trying hard not to laugh at the sight of a Queen falling on her butt.

Elsa shut her eyes, shrugged, and let out a laugh. If he was going to laugh at her, at least she'd laugh with him.

"Are you stable now? Or should I get someone to come and take care of you instead of me?" He said, his voice airy with laughter.

This wasn't so bad. As long as she didn't open her eyes, having a conversation with a complete stranger wouldn't be terrible. She shouldn't be this bad at it, she spoke with new people monthly, on accounts of trade progresses and financial business. For some reason, this was different.

"I'm fine, I think." She finally breathed out, slightly opening her eyes. Santein rolled his playfully.

"Well if you think you can handle it, could you hand me that mug over there?" He asked, raising his sights to a cup on the bedside table, just out of his reach.

_No, please not touching anything_! Elsa pleaded in her head. Squeezing her palms tightly, she answered through tight lips. "Of course."

Straightening her back, she walked slowly towards the table, eyes locked on the cup. _Conceal, don't feel,_ she said silently, the words coming back to her. She knew it wasn't right to let those words creep back in, she had promised herself to not shut people out, to not hide what she could do. But this wasn't the time to go spinning clouds of snowflakes around her guest's head. _It's just a cup, get it together!_

Reaching down, she hesitated for a moment. Swallowing, she easily picked it up. Her eyes meet his as she lay it in his hand, and she felt her face flush. He took it, iceless as it had ever been, relief pouring from her chest.

"Thanks." He murmured, chugging it until it was gone. He wiped his mouth on his bare arm, laying the cup between his knees. He must have seen how awkward it was for her to handle a obviously horrific, terrifying cup.

Elsa nodded before going back to her chair. She turned her head to look back out of the window, but her sight rested on nothing outside. She could only see re-runs of memories in her head, how she'd frozen everything around her only a year ago. Her vision clouded, and sounds of wailing wind began to swarm her thoughts. _No, you can't do this again. _She couldn't let her fear take hold again. It had hurt too many people.

"Kaija seems to really like you." Santein said, breaking the silence.

Elsa turned, forcing a weak smile. "She certainly likes playing games." What? What kind of response was that? _What is wrong with you?_ She screamed at herself. Maybe he hadn't noticed.

Santein laughed. "Are you like this with all your visitors? Or is it just me?"

He noticed. Elsa bit her lip, took a huge sigh, and turned to face him. "I'm….I'm sorry. This really isn't like me. A lot has happened in the past few days, I'm just still trying to come to terms with it all." She said, trying her best to sound as formal as she could under this kind of pressure. That was the problem. She'd never felt pressure like this before. She'd never been this _nervous._

Santein blinked, curiosity swarming in his eyes. "What sort of things? If it's Kaija, I'm very sorry. She can be over bearing." He said apologetically.

Elsa felt a smile spread over her teeth. "Oh, no, no she's wonderful." She turned her shoulder's towards him this time, keeping her hands in her lap. "It's really nothing, though. I should be able to handle it fine, I just don't know what's gotten into me." Her voice trailed quietly, and for the first time she could physically hear the concern in her own voice.

"Even the greatest of Queen's need a break sometimes." Santein said quietly, and Elsa looked up and into his eyes. These simple words made her breath catch in her throat. For some reason, they comforted her. Comfort was still new, a fresh taste in her chest.

"It's still my job to handle everything that's going on. Being Queen is the only thing I'm good at." Elsa said plainly, and she was right. She wasn't good at talking, comforting, sharing, touching. She wasn't good at being a sister, a caretaker, a helper. She only had one thing she handled well. Shutting people out.

"I don't believe that." Santein said, smiling. "You've got to be good at at least _something_ else." He teased, playfulness sneaking in his voice.

Elsa laughed softly, and rolled her eyes. He kept up. "I mean come on. Let see, are you good at dancing?"

"I don't dance." She said plainly, and he laughed.

"I'll have to teach you then." Santein smiled, and Elsa felt her heart pound. "I'm an _excellent_ dancer." He smirked, laughter lighting up his eyes.

"I bet you are." Elsa giggled, no sign of doubt in her words. It felt good, good to laugh off some of her nerves.

"What about drawing? I bet you're an artist." He tried, and Elsa shook her head.

"No, I don't draw well, either."

"Singing?" Santein asked.

Elsa stopped a moment. She'd never thought herself a singer, but she never thought she was relatively bad at it. She'd often sung herself to sleep as a child. "Not really…." She trailed off, but Santein didn't buy it.

"I think I found it. You're a singer."He put a fake expression of jealousy on his face. " Impressive." This time, Elsa's laugh came out loud, spilling from her chest. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand. She was a Queen, not some childish chatter box who laughed like a rude, drunk man.

"You're also a good laugher." Santein said, his blue eyes holding Elsa's, a moment longer than she would have liked.

She didn't reply, she couldn't. Her face was so red that if she'd looked at him, he'd still be able to see her cheeks through the dim light of the room. She only sighed quietly in reply.

"It's nice here." Santein finally said, resettling his arm's over his chest. "I can't thank you enough for this room, while we stay."

Elsa figured she might as well let the moment pass. She couldn't help but want to hear him talk about her laugh again. "You're very welcome. Does it remind you of you're place back home?" She asked, surprised at her own ability to continue a conversation.

Santein's expression dropped, shocking Elsa. "I'm sorry….did I say something wrong?" Of course, of course she had. She'd let herself get too comfortable and gone over the border. She didn't know this man, much less what he was like, what he'd been through, where he came from. How could she ask a question like that?

He didn't answer for a while. She chewed her lip, mentally hitting herself. _Nice job._

"It's a whole lot nicer than home." Santein finally replied, and Elsa decided to stop the conversation there. She was very curious as to what he meant, but knew better than to press. If anyone knew what it was liked to be asked a question they didn't want to answer, it was her.

She turned back towards the window, resting her eyes on the moon. She had a long night of pretending to be asleep ahead.

* * *

There ya go :) How do you like Santein?

Thanks for reading!

**Love,**

**OncerRevolution **❦


	10. The Proposal (Ch 9 and a half)

*****PLEASE READ BELOW THE FIC AS WELL. So, this was going to be a one shot that I realized was exactly where I wanted to go with the fic. This is ****NOT**** in Elsa's POV, it is in 3rd person. However, I really want you to pay attention to Elsa's actions in here as well, for this does happen in the fic, but I had to write it out of Elsa's POV so you all could see what happened :) It's chapter 9.5 because it doesn't revolve around Elsa much. *also because the season doesn't go with what the season is in the fic *weak smile* Please enjoy, I put a lot of time into this chapter*****

**Chapter 9.5**

**The Proposal**

"Elsa, I'd like to ask you something." Kristoff said nervously, pacing back and forth in front of the busy Queen.

She looked up from her paper work, laying her quill down on her desk. "Yes, Kristoff?"

Kristoff's mouth jumbled. Anna had told him how Elsa had freaked out about the topic he planned to bring up, back when Elsa had frozen Arendelle over two years ago.

"I'd…well I was wondering if…" Kristoff began, but the words wouldn't come.

"Maybe if you stop pacing, you'll be able to think straight." She said kindly, and Kristoff stopped, meeting her ice blue eyes.

"I'd….like to ask you for permission to propose to Anna." He said in one quick breath.

For a moment, Elsa's face revealed nothing. Her expression was cold and fear filled, like when he'd first met her. Finally, after a few very long moments, she spoke. "Kristoff. Anna is my sister, and I love her very much. If you marry her, she won't just be my sister anymore. She will be your wife." She said softly, almost more to herself than to him. Kristoff thought for a moment, and pity filled his heart for the Queen. He could only imagine what was going through her head, that Anna was the only person she fully trusted, and he'd be taking that person away from her.

"If we get married, Elsa, that doesn't mean Anna will leave you. I will make sure of that." He said softly, trying to ease her decision.

The Queen rose her gaze to meet his eyes, looking between a mixture of shock and relief. "My needs…they aren't important." Elsa said, standing. "You are what makes my sister happy. As much as I want it to be me, to make up to her for all those years of shutting her out, it won't be. All I can do is allow what makes her happy to always come true." Elsa said.

Kristoff's breath shook. Had she just given him permission?

"Kristoff," She stood before him, looking straight into his eyes. "I give you my blessing to propose to my sister, Anna of Arendelle." He words trailed off at the end. In the mix of emotions, Kristoff found himself taking her hand.

"Could I ask what exactly you're going to say?" Elsa said. Although she tried to hide it, she was just as curious as her sister was.

"Well I have her present ready, for her birthday. I was going to give her that, and then….ask her to marry me." Kristoff swallowed.

"That's….I'm sure she will love that." Elsa smiled.

"Thank you, Elsa. This means more than you know." He smiled at her.

Elsa nodded, and as Kristoff turned towards the door, a tear rolled gently down her cheek.

* * *

Kristoff leaned an ear to the shut door, listening intently for any sounds. He trailed his finger lightly over the door, his heart pounding excitedly. Nodding, he forced himself to turn the handle, stepping inside.

Poking his head through the crack, his eyes searched intently until they rested on a sleeping Anna, curled soundly around a small pink pillow. Her lips were centered in a slight smile, she was probably dreaming. The blankets cascaded around her, and only her head and shoulders stuck out from their white, downy fabric. For a moment he regretted having to wake her up, she was so beautiful when she slept.

Silently, he paced toward her, keeping his sight locked on her sleeping eyelids. His stomach fluttered at the sight of her and her slightly messy red hair and freckle-kissed cheeks. He held his breath as he kneeled down beside the bed, his heart so loud he was sure she would wake up any moment. He let his eyes wander over her slowly rising and falling tummy, and a little sniffle came from her nose as she turned over, her face right with his. She was still asleep, and Kristoff couldn't help but watch her for a moment longer, enjoying every moment. She was truly the most beautiful women he'd ever seen.

Sighing lightly, he raised his hand and laid it lightly on her cheek, caressing her soft face. "Anna? Wake up, I've got a surprise for you." He breathed.

Anna flicked her eyes open, revealing gorgeous blue-green orbs of light. She took in a startled breath, but quickly relaxed, putting her hand sleepily over Kritstoff's, keeping his palm to her face. "Good morning." She whispered.

"Good morning, sleepy head." Kristoff said, smiling to her.

She smiled back, her light pink lips stretching into a sleepy yawn. "Did I sleep in again? I'm so sorry, I promised you breakfast this morning." She said, frowning softly.

"It's alright. You've been up a lot late with paper work, I thought you might enjoy some rest." He answered. Anna sat herself up, stretching her arms high over her head. Kristoff stood and sat on the edge of the bed, watching as she finished her stretch with yet another yawn.

"Well I can't let Elsa do it all by herself. Being a princess isn't all fun and games, ya know." Her sweet voice said, and Kristoff laughed.

"You don't remember what today is, do you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

Her face twisted into a curious, cute expression. "Oh no, is there a big ice delivery today?" She sat up on her knees, laying her hands on his shoulder. "I'll get ready right away!" She jumped off the bed, untangling her braided hair quickly.

Kristoff caught her by the hand, pulling her back towards him to catch her attention. "No, silly. Today's your birthday!"

Anna's face lit up, and she let herself fall against his chest. "Oh my gosh, you're right! I totally forgot!" She kissed his cheek. "How could I forget my own birthday?" She snorted slightly, and Kristoff laughed gently.

"I've got a surprise for you." He said, rubbing her back as she finished detangling her hair. Her jaw dropped, and she stepped away from him.

"Kristoff! You shouldn't have!" Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and he felt a jolt of laughter as she tried to look angry at him. "I told you I didn't want anything!"

He rolled his eyes, sitting back on his hands. Ever since he'd even mentioned her birthday a few weeks ago, he had caught her looking through his stuff once or twice. "I had to get you something. Everyone needs a present on their birthday!"

Anna's expression softened, and her cheeks flushed red. She looked into his eyes. "But I have you already, that's all I really need."

Kristoff's breath tightened, and he took her hands in his own. She took a small step back towards him, and he stood to embrace her in a deep hug. "Well fine, then consider this a Christmas gift if you won't take it as a birthday one." He kissed her forehead. "Why don't you get dressed? It's waiting for you outside." He smiled, excitement filling his chest.

Anna nodded, walking towards her closet. "OK!" She trotted excitedly to her closet, disappearing inside before coming out moments later with a green dress flung over her arm. Kristoff watched as she absent mindedly hummed a gentle tune, combed her hair, and patted her face in the mirror.

She went to undo her night gown, unbuttoning the back of it so that her whole back was exposed. Kristoff froze. He respected her, and he didn't want her feeling as if he watching her undress. "Wait, Anna. Let me, uh, give you some privacy." He blushed red, turning towards the door.

"It's really alright." Kristoff stopped as her voice spoke up quietly, and he turned back to face her. "I love you…I mean, I don't mind if you stay. If you want to, I mean of course you don't have to." She put on a shy smile. Her freckled cheeks were as red as strawberries.

Kristoff's voice caught in his throat. He loved Anna more than anything in the world, and he planned on having a family with her one day. But the thought of watching her get undressed made him feel as if he were intruding on her privacy, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. "Anna, are you sure?"

"I'm sure." She nodded gently.

Kristoff forced a smile, and came back to the bed. He wasn't even sure how he felt about this, so he settled on turning the other direction, his eyes focused outside the window. He listened as she began to hum again, and he waited patiently as the sounds of shuffles echoed throughout the room. After a few more moments of Anna's gentle huffs, she finally appeared beside him, decorated in a sweet green dress, her hair pulled back in a braided bun. "I'm ready," She smiled.

"You look beautiful." He said, standing. He adjusted one small loose strand of red hair behind her ear, and she giggled.

"Thank you."

He took her hand, leading her out of her room and down the steps. He couldn't wait to show her what he had gotten, it had taken him weeks to track down a skilled enough merchant to make her this gift. It had been hard enough keeping it a secret from her, she was very nosy when it came to surprises.

"This way," He said, steering her out through the back ballroom doors, onto a patio that lead into the private castle gardens. "It's just around here."

"I can't wait any longer! Oh Kristoff, tell me what is it!" She said, her eyes so bright that she couldn't hold still.

Without answering her, he wrapped his arm around her waist, spinning her around so his forehead was against hers. "If you want to see what is it, you have to cover your eyes from here. I don't want anything spoiling it until we get there."

Anna sighed heavily, glared playfully at him, and covered her eyes with both hands. Waving his hands in front of her sight to make sure she wasn't cheating, he guided her forward with gentle hands on her shoulders.

"Anna! Happy birthday!" Elsa suddenly came from around the corner, wrapping her sister in a tight hug. To Kristoff's distress, Anna uncovered her eyes, smiling at her sister.

"Thank you Elsa." She laughed.

Elsa met Kristoff's eyes, and he raised an eyebrow at the Queen. "I'm taking her to her present now." He said, his voice tense. He'd already told Elsa what Anna's gift was, and what he planned to do for her birthday. Elsa's expression flashed as she remembered what Kristoff had told her.

Elsa clasped her hands together in excitement, her voice rising in pitch. "Oh, right, of course. Well, by all means don't let me stop you!"

Anna grabbed her sister's shoulders. "Wait wait wait! Why don't you come too? I want everyone there to see me open it." She bounced excitedly.

Elsa flicked her eyes to Kristoff. "I'd love to but…This is Kristoff's gift. He wants to give it to you. Alone. Without me." Elsa said, clearing her throat. Kristoff smacked his hand to his fore head. Who would have known the Queen was so bad at covering things like this up?

"Come on, Anna." Kristoff pulled her away gently before she had time to respond. She protested, but gave in when he put his hand gently over her eyes.

Leading her onward, they slowly made their way to a shaded area of the garden, where his present awaited. For a moment his stomach tighted. Would Anna like it? He didn't even know if she would know what it was.

"Can I open my eyes now?" She said, her hands in excited fists as she bobbled up and down like a child at a birthday party.

"One second. Stay here." Kristoff breathed, letting her go and praying that she didn't open her eyes early. He ran over to his present, standing beside it. Taking a deep breath, he called. "OK. You can open your eyes now."

Anna whipped her hands away from her face. When her eyes locked on the large object standing next to him, she opened her jaw to speak, but nothing came out. _Oh no_, Kristoff thought. _She hates it._

Anna took a step towards him. "You…." She stopped. He couldn't read her expression.

"Happy birthday, Anna!" He forced out, hoping she would say something else soon.

"You got me…" Anna said again, her sight flying over the object. He didn't answer, for he didn't know what to say. He'd disappointed her. She was so surprised at his awful present she couldn't even speak a word. "You got me…._a trampoline_?" Kristoff's eyes lit up as her voice filled with excitement. "A trampoline?! Do you know how long I've _wanted_ one of these?" She said, more as a statement than a question. "Forever!" Her voice shrilled.

All Kristoff could do was hold out his arms as Anna flew at him, embracing him in biggest, most thankful hug he had ever felt. She wrapped her arms tightly around his back, meeting his eyes with her huge, excited blue orbs. "Oh, Kristoff! This is the best gift ever!"

He couldn't get out 'you're welcome' before she had taken his hand, pulling him up to the trampoline. "Help me up!" She said, jumping up and down.

"Hold still!" He said, laughter pouring from his lips. Laying his hands lightly on her hips, he hoisted her up. She wobbled on the trampoline's screen, falling to her knees. Suddenly she picked her head up, laughing so hard she couldn't breathe.

"Come on!" She reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him up to join her on it. Kristoff had never actually been on one of these before, and by the way Anna was looking, she hadn't either. But the joy in her eyes and face was undeniably beautiful.

"Jump!" She said, grabbing his hands and making an effort to jump in the air. The trampoline's netting buckled under their weight, causing them to wobble in the air. After a few hectic tries, they found a rhythm, jumping and falling and jumping all over again.

"Look, I bet I can do a flip!" Anna said, and before he could stop her, she had thrown her legs over her head. If what she had just done was a flip, then Kristoff had been wrong about what a flip was his whole life. Landing on her back, Kristoff watched in silence as she lay there, stunned.

"I did it!" She said excitedly, clambering back to her feet in excitement, stumbling towards him. "Give it a try!" She said.

Kristoff thoughts were too wrapped into the moments ahead to focus. He was about to ask her for her hand in marriage. His heart throbbed uncontrollably, and he met her eyes as she waved a hand in front of his face. "Earth to Kristoff. I said why don't you try a flip?" Her sweet eyes dared him.

Swallowing, he tried to focus on what she was saying. "A flip? Are you crazy?" He forced a strained laugh. "I can't do a flip! I've never even been on one of these things!"

"Oh come on, just try it!" She said excitedly.

Sighing, Kristoff looked into her eyes. "Fine," He said, pointing at her. "But don't let it hurt your feelings if mine's better than yours." He teased, desperately trying to ignore his pounding heart. Lunging forward, he bent his knees, tossing his body into the center of the trampoline. He had been wrong, he'd just done a worse flip than Anna. He looked up at her laughing eyes, innocently covering her mouth with her hand. "How was it?" He asked, nervous laughter pouring from his lips.

She bit her cheeks, trying very hard not to let her laughter escape. "It was….OK." She giggled, before falling to her knees with laughter.

"Hey! I didn't laugh at your flip!" He said in mock anger. She crawled towards him, her hands slipping on the trampoline's surface.

"That's because mine was at least an actual flip! You just landed on your belly!" She rocked backwards with laughter. She tried to stand up, but her feet wobbled with the unsteadiness of the trampoline below her. With a loud yelp, she fell right on top of him.

They laid like this for several minutes, laughter rocking the trampoline as they tried to control it. Every time one of them would finally get a hold of themselves, they'd meet eyes, and the laughter would come again. Kristoff took these moments graciously; his nerves were just about to split him in half. Finally, they got their giggles under control.

"This," Anna said, putting her hands around his shoulder's so that she could support herself and look into his eyes. "Is the best gift ever, Kristoff. Thank you so, so much." She said.

Putting one hand on her back, he fumbled in his pocket for the ring. "You're very welcome, Anna. " He grasped the ring tight in his palm, his voice quivering as much as his hand. "Happy birthday." He breathed out.

"I love you." She said softly, and Kristoff swallowed loudly. It was now or never.

"Anna," He said, gently pushing her off of him so that they could both sit up. "There's one….one more gift I have for you." His hands shook.

Anna's eyes lit up, excitement and cluelessness sparking in her eyes. "Really? Another gift? You're spoiling me!" She said.

"Well this gift," He said, taking her hand. "Wouldn't just be a gift to you. It would be a gift to me as well. One that would make me the happiest man on this Earth." Kristoff said, his voice shaking still.

Anna still looked clueless, her big blue eyes looking down at his shaking hand. "Are…are you alright?"

"Anna, will you marry me?" Kristoff stuttered out, opening his hand to reveal a golden ring. A red ruby set encrusted on the top, surrounded by many tiny diamonds.

Anna covered her mouth. For a long time, she looked at the ring, reaching out to touch it many times, but pulling back. Her eyes watered, and for a second, Kristoff's worst fear stabbed at his heart. What if she said no?

Without warning, Anna crashed her lips into his, wrapping her arms around his neck. She shoved her head into his the crest of his shoulder, sobs making her body shake. "Kristoff," Her voice cracked. "Of course I'll marry you!" She said, sitting up and wiping her eyes.

"Really?" He said, relief pouring out of his chest. Somehow, he'd gotten through it. Somehow, he'd asked her to be his wife. And, some how, she had said yes.

"Yes, really." She giggled through happy tears, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. Kristoff had to drop his sight to her hands, tears began to gather in his eyes as well. He slowly slipped the ring over her finger, and she grasped his hands in hers, putting them over her heart. "I change my mind. This," She kissed his hand. "Is _truly_ the best gift ever."

Kristoff pulled her into his arms, hugging her tight, never wanting to let her go. This time he had to bury his face in the cuff of her neck, he couldn't let her see the tears coming down his face now. She released him, kissing his lips softly. "I just can't believe this." She said, her eyes red.

"Believe what? That you just said yes to someone like me?" He teased her, making fun at himself.

"No," She breathed out. "That I got _asked _to marry someone like you." Kristoff looked at her in shock. There was no way one woman could be this kind, this amazing. "All my life, I never even dreamed…" Her voice trailed off. "That I'd have a life as wonderful as this."

"You deserve it, Anna." Kristoff said, and Anna's eyes welled up again.

"That's right, you do." Anna and Kristoff both looked up to see Elsa approaching them regally.

"You knew about this?" Anna said, surprise and laughter mixing together in her words.

"I'm good at keeping secrets, you know that." Elsa winked. "I'm sorry to intrude, but I just couldn't wait any longer. Let me see." Elsa looked to Anna's finger. Anna held her ring out proudly, looking in Kristoff's eyes as Elsa examined it. "Oh Anna, it's gorgeous."

"Thank you." Anna said, taking Kristoff's hand and climbing slowly down off the trampoline. He lifted her off of it, setting her softly on the ground.

Walking back to the castle, Elsa walked ahead of Kristoff and Anna, who padded slowly together up the garden steps. Anna twinned her hands in Kristoff's.

"You know what the only problem is with this birthday?" Anna said, stopping and looking up at Kristoff.

"What?" Kristoff said, his heart quickening. "Did I forget something?"

"No, silly." Anna laughed. "How am I supposed to get you gift that compares to this, when your birthday come?" Her big blue eyes blinked softly, and Kristoff smiled.

"You saying yes just made all my wishes come true." He kissed her softly.

She leaned her head into his shoulder as they walked back into the castle. When they got inside, Elsa stood at the door, twinning her fingers nervously. "I know this won't compare to that," She smiled. "But here."

She held out her hand, which enclosed a tiny little box. Anna took it gently, opening the box with a shocked gasp. "Oh, Elsa…"

"It's our mother's necklace." Elsa said with a weak smile. "I was going to give you something else….but I decided on no magic. Magic doesn't make us sisters. You come first….i'm sorry it's taken me so long to realize that."

Anna looked up at her with tears in her eyes. She hugged her tightly, and Elsa looked up at Kristoff. She smiled softly, and Kristoff gave her a thumbs up. They had an odd relationship, but Kristoff loved her just the same.

"Where did you find it?" Anna asked, and Elsa unclasped the clip, putting it over Anna's shoulder's. "I've had it since she died. I didn't attend their funeral, like you did. So the staff gave me this to have while I was in here, wanting to be there with you. "

Anna hugged her sister again. "It's truly beautiful, Elsa. Thank you so much."

Elsa nodded, and turned to leave. Anna turned back to Kristoff, who took her hands in his. "You look beautiful, the necklace matches your eyes."

"Thank you." She blushed softly.

"What would you like to do now?" Kristoff said. "It's your birthday, you choose."

Anna chewed her cheek. "Jumping was so much fun." She giggled. "But I understand if you don't want to jump anymore, you weren't the best at it."

Kristoff pouted playfully. "I wasn't that bad!" He laughed. Anna suddenly put her hands around his neck, pulling him close in a long hug. "Alright, alright, alright. Let's go jump some more." He kissed her softly, and she jumped up excitedly.

"Race you there!" She said, running through the doors. Kristoff sighed. Although it wasn't his own birthday, he couldn't help but feel as if it was. Because from now on out, he would spend his life with the one person he loved more than himself. And no amount of jumping could ever ruin that.

* * *

So, Sorry this chapter is incredulously long! I was simply going to write a _short_ fic, a one shot, to get a break from the The Letter. But, as I was writing I saw just how much this fit into the fic. I was planning on having this in the fic anyways, but it doesnt quite fit into the story line 100% well (hence the _**9.5**_) :)

Thanks so much for reading, lovies!

Please leave comments!

**Love,**

**OncerRevolution**


	11. Lesson Zero

_** I'm so very sorry for the wait! We've had snow storms where I live and I haven't been able to write much! This chapter is long, but I put lots of time into it :) Do enjoy, and please comment!**_

**Chapter 11**

**Lesson Zero**

"Elsa? Where are you going?" Kaija's little voice asked. Elsa had just stood up from being seated in the chair by the window in Santein's room. She had been in here all morning watching over Santein, quietly chatting with the little girl.

"I'm going to get Anna, she said she'd come and watch over Santein with you this morning. Is that alright with you?" Elsa asked.

"It's really alright if someone's not in here with me every second. You're all busy, I understand that." He said softly, but Elsa wouldn't have it. She had had to stay here, Anna's rule, and if she was going to be forced to do something she didn't want, he'd have to too. She felt a bit sorry for him, it had to be frustrating not to be able to do what he wanted. But with the extent of his injuries, rest was just about all he needed at the moment.

"Hush, Santein." Kaija said, putting her little hands over his mouth. He met Elsa's eyes, rolled his, and Elsa had to bite back a laugh. "I want Anna to come in here. She tells good stories." Kaija turned to face Santein, looking him in the eyes.

"Good, I'll go and get her now." Elsa smiled to Kaija. Reluctantly, she turned her attention back to Santein. "Are you OK? Do you need anything before I leave?"

He smiled. "I'm fine, thanks."

Elsa nodded, thankfully dropping her eyes to the door's handle before walking out. When she exited the room, her shoulder's dropped, revealing how much tension she had been holding in while watching over Santein. Laying her head back against the door, she took a moment to breathe. Being Queen had never required her to care for an injured person, much less a rambunctious child.

Sliding her eyes back open, she sighed heavily. "Right. I've got to get Anna." Using much more strength then should have been required, she pushed herself off of the door, heading to Anna's room. It was early in the morning, and she wondered if her sister would even be awake.

Coming to her door, Elsa raised her fist to it, stopping just before knocking. She cringed as memories flooded her mind. Anna had no reason to answer the door, to come to Elsa's aid. So many times, Anna had knocked on her door and Elsa had given her the cold shoulder. Too many times. But not _once_ had Anna ignored Elsa, and she never would. She was just too good a person.

Softly, Elsa tapped the door twice. This was so backwards.

"Come….." A sleepy voice called through a thick yawn. "Come in." Anna's voice sounded.

Elsa bit her lip, turning the handle slowly. Cracking the door, she peeked in. Her eyes rested on a bed-headed Anna, who sat up, rubbing her eyes. Next to her lay a sleeping Kristoff, one foot sticking out of the covers and off the bed. Elsa had to put her hand to her mouth not to laugh.

"Good morning." Elsa smiled to her sister, and Anna's face lit up brightly.

"Oh my gosh, it's my turn isn't it? I'm so, so sorry," Anna mumbled as she jumped off her bed and threw a robe over her bare shoulders. "Did Kaija wake you up this early? Did you get any sleep?"

"Anna." Elsa said, helping her sister unfumble her robe. "Calm down, it's OK. Kaija is with Santein, and I slept just fine." She lied, desperately trying to swallow a yawn. Even being back in her own bed for a week hadn't helped the thoughts rambling in her mind.

"Good, good," Anna said, running to her mirror. "I wonder how he's been these last few nights, sleeping on his own in there. You don't think he's needed our help at all and just not asked?" She said, turning around to look at Elsa. She brushed her hair quickly, worry flushing her cheeks. "He's very kind, I don't believe he'd ask for more help if he needed it."

Elsa shook her head. "He's defiantly getting better. He's very strong, not many people would heal as fast as he is with a wound like that." Elsa looked towards the window, picturing the moment she had found him. Blood was spattered down his side as he staggered through the forest, calling Kaija's name. His blue eyes were drowned in worry, and he moved quickly, the blizzard around them whipping him back and forth. She remembered the moment he had caught her following him, pinning her against the rock ledge she was taking shelter behind. His wind burned face had been very close to hers, so close she could see the freckles of his light colored skin-

"Elsa!" Anna said loudly, and Elsa whipped her attention back to her.

"What?" She asked, wondering why Anna's eyes squinted in concern.

"Didn't you hear me? I said I'm ready now." Anna said. Elsa was alarmed to find her sister was fully dressed, her hair neatly brushed, hanging freely across her shoulders. "Let's go."

Shaking her head again, Elsa walked back to Santein's room, entering to find Kaija in the middle of the floor. She stood on her tip toes, twirling and spinning and running back and forth. She jumped up, caught Anna's eyes, and landed with a squeal of delight. "Anna!"

Elsa watched as Anna bent to the floor, opening her arms as Kaija flew into them. Anna smiled happily, and she squeezed the little girl gently. "Good morning," Anna giggled. "I saw you dancing, it was good!"

Kaija twirled her hands in embarrassment. "Oh, thank you." She looked at the floor, her cheeks reddening. Anna stood, smiling at Santein.

"How are you today?" She said, going to the window and opening the curtain. White light poured in, showing shadows of snowflakes from outside, dancing on the floor.

"Much better." Santein said, sitting up. He turned his attention to Elsa, who smiled weakly.

"That's good. Are you ready to move some more?" Anna said, coming over and examining his bandages. Elsa couldn't help but admire her motherly instinct, she never flinched to help anyone.

Santein gritted his teeth. "I guess I have to."

Anna raised a brow at him. "Well of course you have to, if you want to get better." She said, pulling on his bandage. He winced. "Oh, sorry." She said shyly, clearing her throat.

"That's alright." He said, looking to Elsa. She laughed silently, and he playfully rolled his eyes. Anna took a step back, and, with a slight gasp of pain, Santein swung his legs over the side of the bed, his breath coming quickly.

"That's it, take your time." Anna said. Kaija watched silently, standing behind Anna, wrapping her arms around her leg. Anna smiled down at her.

With another great heave of effort, Santein stood, leaning heavily against the bed frame pole. He took many breaths, his arms quivering with effort. Elsa was scared he would collapse, his face was so pale. But, somehow, he had stood on his own, a huge improvement from yesterday.

"There you go, all by yourself." Anna smiled proudly.

"Good job, Santein." Kaija said, her eyes wide. She was most likely not used to seeing her brother so bed ridden and weak looking.

Santein finally relaxed, holding his own weight on his feet. He rolled his shoulder's and Elsa could see the relief pouring from his movements. He was clothed in a light blue shirt, a bit big for him, it belonged to Kristoff. He was just about as tall as Kristoff, but quite a bit less muscular. Elsa found herself looking over his chizzled shoulders, which stretched as he shuffled his feet. He turned to meet her gaze, and she looked at the floor quickly, embarrassment filling her stomach. This wasn't the first time he'd caught her looking at him.

"One more step," Anna said lightly. "You're almost there."

Santein looked up at her, a slight expression of annoyance sparking in his eyes. He had already stood up on his own, and now she wanted more. Elsa couldn't help but feel the same. Anna had good intentions, but she was coaching Santein as if he was a child.

"I," He said with a short, painful breath. "I think that's enough, for today." His eyes flicked back to the bed, and he slowly lowered himself onto it.

It had been a week since Elsa had spent the night in here last, supposedly watching over the injured man. Just two days ago, Kristoff had proposed to Anna, and Elsa was still getting used to the big red ring hanging off her sister's skinny finger. She looked at it now, shimmering in the windows light.

Anna sighed. "That was good, already better than yesterday." She reassured him, clearly impressed.

"In a few more days you can come jump on the trampoline!" Kaija's little voice squeaked from behind Anna's leg. She popped out from behind her, clambering over the mattress and standing, bobbing up and down on it's bouncy springs.

Santein laughed. He had heard about the engagement under Elsa's order, she had had the idea that Santein and Kristoff might like each other's manly company. She had been right, for since the engagement Kristoff had spent lot's of free time talking to Santein. "We will see." He said, lifting her chin up so he could wink at the little girl.

Kaija giggled. The door swung open slowly, catching Elsa's attention. Her eyes met Danesk, who called to her silently with a wave of her hand.

"I'll return in a moment." Elsa said, a spark of anticipation hitting her chest. She hadn't talked with Danesk much since the arrival of Kaija and Santein, and Anna still hadn't gotten an explanation for why she was there.

"Is everything OK?" Anna asked, and Elsa forced a smile.

"Fine." She said, exiting the room and walking quietly towards her aunt

"How's the patient?" She asked, her eyes shifting to the crack in the door.

Kaija's laugh echoed out of it. "He's fine. Getting better, rather quickly." Elsa said.

Danesk nodded. "That's good. Are you free for a while? I had something I wanted to talk to you about." She said, her eyes holding Elsa's sight. Elsa swallowed. Danesk certainly had a lot of things to talk about, and Elsa didn't want to know about any other secrets of her aunt's past. She had had a lot of things whirling in her mind for the last week and a half.

"I'm free." Elsa said, biting her lip. She had agreed without thinking.

"Wonderful. Why don't we go down to the dining hall? Somewhere quiet." Danesk turned, leading Elsa down the stairs. Well this was odd. Elsa was used to escorting others around her castle, not visitors leading her. And never her _aunt_ leading her, this had never happened before.

Coming into the dining room, Elsa watched as Danesk seated herself. Following her lead, Elsa tensely sat across from her, much like the very first time they had spoke. Elsa could still barley grasp the concept of having an aunt, of acknowledging her as motherly figure. Even stranger was that this woman mildly understood what Elsa had grown up fearing. Herself.

"Now, I know I shouldn't impose," Danesk said softly. "But I've been thinking. There is no doubt the curse is within you Elsa, we know this. But all you know is how to _deal_ with your curse, to contain it as much as possible and use it only when needed. Well dear, I'd like to teach you how to _live _with your curse. That means no more hiding, no more fearing it. No more uneasiness around new people."

Elsa didn't move. She had thought she had done a pretty good job at pacing herself, slowly adjusting to the life of a Snow Queen. She had always been good at _old_ things, at keeping to herself, pacing things for herself. She wasn't quite sure how having someone else pace her learning would go over. She forced a slight smile.

"I..." Elsa stopped. She may not exactly like the fact that Danesk wanted to help her, but she did in fact like the relief she felt that someone understood just how much fear she held inside. "How exactly would you plan to teach me these...things?" Elsa settled on saying, and Danesk nodded, smiling.

"I believe giving you lessons would be the most helpful thing." Danesk said.

Elsa's throat tightened. Lessons? She knew how to use her magic, she had just saved a life, something she didn't even know she was capable of.

"Elsa, I don't mean teach you how to use your curse, I mean teach you how to control it. How to listen to it." Danesk said, answering Elsa's thought as if she could hear it.

Listen to her curse? Elsa had never thought of it like that. She didn't hear a thing when it came to magic. She could, however, _feel_ it, the swinging, tugging pressure of its forceful winds. "You mean teach me how to conceal it." Elsa said plainly. She couldn't do that, she never wanted to go back to hiding it. Concealing had only gotten her one place in life. Nowhere.

"No dear, not conceal it. Do you know why your curse is so strong? It's because it's begging you to let it go, to set it free. You can do amazing things with it, my dear, as I'm sure you've began to discover." Danesk said, leaning forward in her chair. "Please, Elsa. Do consider it. I feel that this is my only chance to show you how...how sorry I am. My knowledge is the only thing I can provide you with."

Elsa looked deep into her aunt's eyes. They were quite sorrowful, and Elsa found herself almost having to fight back tears. Her solemn, regretful voice rang in her head. "Alright." Elsa agreed.

"Really? You're sure about this?" Danesk said, excitement lighting her eyes.

"I'm sure." Elsa said, or at least she heard herself say. She wasn't quite sure if she was OK with it yet. But maybe trying something new wouldn't be terrible. _I can't shut her out_, Elsa thought to herself. _No. I _won't _shut her out._

**_an hour later_**

"Why don't we start with you showing me what you can do?" Danesk said, her hands resting on her hips. Her lips wrapped around her cheeks in a slight smile, a determined gleam shinning in her eyes.

Elsa froze. Show her what she could do? She'd never had anyone ask her to reveal her magic, not like this. For a moment, Elsa felt her stomach bubble with nerves. She felt like she was being put on display. "You mean just...do anything?"

Danesk nodded, waving her hands in the air. "Anything you want to show me.

Elsa chewed her lip. That was just it, she didn't _want_ to show her anything. Her heart pounded nervously. "I'm not sure about this." In many ways, Elsa felt like a child. Nervous, scared and apprehensive, she felt odd about displaying her talents, if that's what they were.

Danesk took a step towards her. "You can do it. The first step is embracing the magic. You've decided not to hide it, so the only place to go is to embrace it, to use it." Her voice said smoothly.

"But I don't want to show it off, I'm not proud of it." Elsa said, but her voice rose, surprising her. She couldn't exactly say she wasn't proud of it. She could do amazing things, even bring back a _life_. "I just don't want it going off when I don't control it." She said quietly. "I can't trust it."

Danesk's eyes squinted, and she sighed. "Your powers are tied to your emotions, dear." She said, and Elsa felt a stab of anger. Was she suggesting Elsa learn to control what she felt? _Oh, stop it_, Elsa thought. _She's right._ "You have to teach yourself how to control your emotions, and unfair to you, you have to learn to control them _and_ the curse."

Without answering her, Elsa closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, really focusing on her hands. She tried to listen, to focus in on the sounds of her magic. She flipped her palms upwards, focusing so hard she gritted her teeth.

"Relax, Elsa. You're already trying too hard." Danesk said, and it took all of Elsa's strength not to snap at her.

Resettling her hands, she took another breath, this time letting it out slowly. Suddenly, nerves stabbed her gut. What exactly should she show this woman? She'd never done this before, and she was highly uncomfortable just speaking with her.

"That's it. Now, show me."

Elsa flicked her eyes open, locking her sight on her fingertips. A flutter of blue flakes began spilling from her hands, and she felt an enormous wave of relief pour from her stomach. Practically forgetting about Danesk, Elsa relaxed further, lifting her arms high into the air. Collecting an icy swirl, she drew the flakes around her, the wind of her magic whipping her hair. The coolness of the ice kissed her face, making excitement chill down her spine. She found herself laughing quietly, the swirls dancing around her, spinning beautifully, delicately, freely. This was what she had missed for a week. She was _free._

Taking a step forward, Elsa tossed her arms towards the window, swirls of magic cascading around her dress, the air rushing past her eyelashes. She blinked, excitement spilling from her stomach. She stomped against the floor, the carpet instantly freezing over. She slid regally, swirls of blue and white dancing around her wrists, arms, and finally spilling across the floor. Breathing heavily, she remembered Danesk, and flicked her sight up to her aunt.

The woman gazed around the room in awe, a smile sitting on her lips. _Is she…._proud _of me?_ Elsa said to herself, the thought making her heart flutter. The look of approval that rested in her aunt's eyes made Elsa look down at her hands, which were shaking with the effort they had just put forth. "You remind me so much of myself, when I was your age." Danesk breathed out, almost too quietly for Elsa to hear. "Look around you, Elsa. Look what you've done."

_Elsa's father stood before her, anger and fear glazing over his eyes. He held an unconscious Anna in his arms, her mother cradling her tightly. "Elsa, look what you've done!" For a moment Elsa's heart sped up in fear. All around her the walls were changing back to that same night, the time she had hit Anna with her magic. She could see them now, holding her red-headed sibling close. Elsa looked around in horror at the ice spattering the walls, the snow falling all around them. Searching frantically, she finally found herself, a young child, crying as her mother and father pulled Anna away. Elsa watched as her younger self chased after them, her feet slipping out from under her. The door slammed, leaving Elsa alone with the ice around her, the ice _inside_ of her. Her young eyes looked around in fear, tears spilling rapidly. "Look what I've _done_…" She heard herself say, the fear making her voice shake. It sent chills down her spine. Those words were so familiar. They were the beginning of her lonely, fearful, hidden life. Elsa watched on as her younger self finally made it to the door, tearing through it, screaming after her parent's._

_No_, Elsa shook herself in her thoughts. _This is different_. She couldn't allow herself to fall back into the memories, to lose control of reality. Danesk wasn't scared. She was amazed. Elsa looked up slowly, her eyes fumbling around the room. She smiled.

"I think you've learned your first lesson." Danesk said quietly. Elsa new exactly what she meant.

"I….I think so." Elsa said, smiling at her aunt.

Danesk walked over to her, pulling Elsa's blonde braid through her fingers. "It's OK to think about the past. I still do, sometimes. But you can't let it _choke _you, Elsa. If I had let it consume me, I wouldn't be standing in here with you today."

Elsa felt a lump tighten in her throat. Already, she had learned something. And it wasn't magic. It wasn't the curse. It wasn't even how to hold her hands up in the air.

She had simply learned to trust the one person she never thought she could. Herself.

**E**N**D**

* * *

Hope you enjoyed!

Thanks for reading :)

_**Love,**_

_**OncerRevolution**_


	12. A Walk would Be Nice

*** It's *huge sigh* Finally here! I'm so so sorry for the wait, i've been so busy with rehearsals! Please, take the time to comment! I love hearing you opinions on what's happening!**

**These past few chapter's have been uneventful, i'm sorry for that! But keep reading, a lot is coming soon!**

**Chapter 12**

**A Walk would Be Nice**

"Elsa, please, I promise we will be back soon." Anna said, her voice whinny.

"Anna, I have papers to write! I can't stay with him today!" Elsa said agitatedly.

"I know, but Kristoff and I have been planning this for days! What would Kaija say if I told her she couldn't go now?" Anna said, her big blue eyes blinking innocently.

Elsa bit her lip. For the past three days Anna had been planning to take Kaija out, to let her play in the Kingdom's village. Kristoff had steadily backed his fiancé, agreeing that the little girl needed to get out after being cooped up in the castle for so long. Elsa sighed. Anna _had_ been planning this, and it would break Kaija's heart if she couldn't go. "Fine." Elsa said, giving in to her sister's pleas. "Just make sure you bring her back in time for bed." Elsa warned. She knew Anna could be a bit irresponsible at times, and with Kristoff there to distract her, Elsa was sure they would need some reminding.

Anna squealed. "Oh, thank you Elsa!" She wrapped her arms tight around Elsa's shoulders, giving her a squeeze. "You're the best sister I could ever wish for." Elsa smiled, she certainly loved to hear that. "Come on out, Kaija! It's time to go." Anna opened the door to Santein's room, peeking her head inside.

Soon, the little girl came running out of the room, her brown eyes glittering with excitement. She wore a little yellow dress with green flowers layered all over, it had been one of Anna's when she was a child. "We're going to the Villiage! We're going to the Village!" She jumped up and down.

"Yes! We are!" Anna squealed along with her. She reached her hand out, and the little girl took it gratefully. As they left down the hall, Anna turned and waved. "Bye, Elsa! See you in a few!"

Elsa picked up her hand, waving back gently. She sighed, feeling a tickle of laughter in her chest. Anna would be a great mother someday.

Fixing a loose strand of hair, Elsa shuffled into Santein's room, holding her breath as she stepped inside. He looked up, a gentle smile on his lips. His blue eyes shone bright in the dimness. "Hi, Queen Elsa. I didn't get a chance to thank Anna for taking Kaija out, that's so kind of her."

Elsa winced at him saying her name. No matter how long she had been Queen, being addressed as 'Queen Elsa' just never felt right.

"Please, call me Elsa. And it's really alright, Anna needed a break as well. She's quite hyper, if you haven't noticed." Elsa said gently, relaxing a bit as Santein laughed.

"Elsa." He said, his voice apologetic. He uncovered himself, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Elsa watched as he rubbed his neck, rolled his shoulders, and stretched out his legs, sighing heavily. "Man, I feel like I've been stuck in here forever."

Elsa swallowed. He had been in a while, and she felt a stab of pity for him. She knew what if felt like to be stuck in one room. His injury was healing, but she couldn't help but want it to heal faster. This poor man couldn't stay cooped up like this for much longer.

"Why…why don't you try some more walking? It's been a few days, since you tried last." Elsa said carefully, wanting more than anything for the awkwardness in the room to leave.

Santein looked up at her. "I want to. The pain is gone, it has been for a while. But I just don't trust my own feet, I don't trust myself yet. I'm still weak."

Elsa almost choked. He had just said the exact thing that she had been thinking for days now. After her recent lesson with Danesk, she felt less fear towards to constant pulsing in her hands. She felt more comfortable around Anna, Kaija, and even a bit more around Santein. But just as he had said, she was still weak. She was still untrustworthy of her own feet, her own magic. Her own emotions.

"Do you know what that feels like?" Santein blinked up at her, his eyes soft. "Because it's a terrible feeling." He said, his eyes hitting the floor.

Elsa stared hard at him, her eys an icy blue. She wanted to scream at him. She wanted to yell in his face. How _dare_ he? How dare he ask a woman he knew nothing about if she knew what it felt like to not trust herself?

"Yes, I do." She said, her tone thick.

Santein blinked, his eyes squinting in concern. "I'm sorry, Elsa. I hate that you know." Elsa closed her eyes. How was she supposed to respond to that? She couldn't tell if she was still angry that he had asked her such a personal question or if she felt sad for him and his concerned voice. "But, look at you. You're a Queen, and a very good one, I've been told. You must be a strong woman."

Elsa felt a rush of heat blow under her cheeks. This didn't just embarrass her, it made her chest pound. She'd never had a man be so in awe of her before. Especially a man like this….someone who _wasn't_ in her family. He wasn't her father, he wasn't her future brother-in-law. He was just Santein. "You could say that." She finally managed to choke out, her throat caught in a lump of nerves and surprise.

Santein smiled at her, and she shuffled her feet. She was acting like a school girl, not a Queen. Sucking up her nerve tightened stomach, she cleared her throat. "If you feel well enough, I could provide you with a tour around the castle. Maybe a short one, just to be sure." She said politely.

Santein stood, his legs quivering. When he held his own weight, he looked at Elsa, eagerness in his eyes. "A tour would be nice."

Elsa smiled. "Look at you, already up on your own two feet." She said, surprised to find a measure of pride for his achievement fill her chest.

"Well I wouldn't miss the opportunity to have a tour by the beautiful Queen for anything." He said, adding a charming wink.

Elsa felt her stomach turn. Although her insides felt as if they had melted, she forced out a calm sentence, along with a subtle yet playful eye roll. "How sweet of you."

He laughed, and she stood, waiting for him to head towards the door. He blinked, meeting her eyes, and she shoved them to the door, her cheeks flushing once again. "Here," He said, stumbling towards the door to swing it open. "Ladies first."

Elsa felt a stab of guilt. She hadn't meant for it to seem that she was waiting for him to open the door for her. Besides, he was hurt, she couldn't have him thinking she was a rude host. "No, no, I'm sorry," She said, trotting towards the door. "Go ahead." She stood in the entrance, her hand held out slightly for him to walk past. Seeing this, he nodded politely, and pressed through the door. As he walked through, he had to turn, his body brushing ever so slightly against hers. Sucking in a breath, she slammed the door shut behind her, letting it out loudly as she turned back towards him.

Gritting her teeth together, she screamed at herself in her head. _Stop acting like a child_! His blue eyes flooded with laughter, and she could tell he could see how nervous she was. Straightening her back, she nodded to him, pushing her nerves down. "Where would you like to go?" She began walking slowly down the hall, matching his slightly limping pace.

"I hear your gardens are beautiful." He said, his eyes looking out a window as they passed by slowly.

Elsa bit her lip. "They…they are beautiful, in summer." She corrected him lightly. To her kingdom, they were beautiful now. Her ice sculptures decorated their long corridors, sparkling beneath the cold sun light. But she couldn't chance him knowing about that. He had come from a neighboring Kingdom, and as far as she knew, he knew nothing of her magic. "Anna has a green thumb, you see. She cares for the plants and flowers during the spring and summer, when they flourish." Elsa continued. "But right now, the gardens are-" She swallowed. "Bare."

Santein kept his gaze ahead. "I see. That might be a bit far, anyways." He chuckled slightly. "How about you choose where we go?"

Elsa stopped. She, choose? Well what if she picked the wrong place? What if the castle wasn't interesting enough for him? What if he pressed to see the gardens? What if he _did_ know about her powers? What if- _Enough! Stop it!_ She screamed at herself. _He just needs to walk, it doesn't matter where you take him!_

"You don't have a preference?" She asked, hoping for a suggestion.

"Surprise me." He said, raising an eyebrow slightly, along with a slight smirk of a smile.

"Would you like to see the dining hall? It's not very far, but we'll have to turn around." She said, picking the first place that came to her mind.

Santein turned back towards her. She noticed he was slightly taller than her, despite her wearing her heeled shoes. "That's fine." He said. "Kaija has told me lots about it, I'd love to see it for myself." He took a step forward, coming to pace right with Elsa. In an odd way, she didn't mind his presence being so close to hers. It was different than when she walked with Danesk, even with Anna. He was the first person who didn't pull on her arm, didn't place a hand on her back. He simply walked with her, kindly, not too intrusive.

When they came to the steps, Elsa stepped down first. She turned back to look up at him. "Will the steps be alright? How do you feel?"

Santein shook his head. "I'm fine. Sorry I'm moving so slow, I'm a little winded. But I'd much rather be out here with you than stuck in bed, believe me."

Elsa smiled. He could have just said he'd rather be out here than in bed, but she couldn't help but allow her stomach to bubble at what he had said.

A good ten minutes later, they had finally made it to the dining hall. Elsa searched for any staff members, but was a bit shocked to find no one around. "What's wrong?" Santein asked, coming to a rest beside her.

"Oh, nothing." She said, waving her hand slightly for him to follow her into the hall. This time, she held the door for him, and he walked through slowly. "I'm just a bit surprised that none of the staff are around." She continued.

Santein shrugged. He let his eyes wander around the room, and Elsa took the moment to let her's wander over him. His light brown hair sat straight on his head, besides the fact that he had been in bed for days. His rounded, broad shoulders curved steeply down into his chest, which was outlined now by a light grey fur shirt that belonged to him. It had been washed and returned the day before. She blinked at his rugged chin, outlined with a slight coloring of stubble.

"The stained glass is magnificent." He said, and Elsa shook her thoughts away to look up at the giant window his gaze rested on. It was a quite realistic work of art of her parents, and Elsa frowned.

"It's a memorial of my parents." She said quietly, catching her voice before it cracked.

Santein looked back at her, a look of panic in his eyes. "Oh, Elsa, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

She cut him off, swallowing. "No, it's alright."

He frowned. "I wasn't going to say it of course, but I was wondering why you're such a young Queen. King Ranfriar, of Arkinvale, is well of age."

Elsa looked up at him. "I've been Queen for almost three years now. It's nothing new to me. I lost my parents when I was eighteen." She said quietly. She could barely believe how much she _trusted_ him to listen, how much she gave out to him.

Santein shook his head in sorrow. "That's terrible, I'm so sorry to hear that." He cuffed his hand over the back of his neck. "But the glass is a wonderful memorial for them. I can see where you got your good looks from." He met her eyes, and she smiled softly.

"The glass was put there right after their death. Somehow I keep missing it when I come in here." She revealed.

"Well, I guess you won't forget to look up next time, will you?" He smiled gently, and she nodded.

"I guess not." Elsa looped her fingers together awkwardly. Judging by the light outside the window, it would still be quite a while before Anna, Kristoff, and Kaija returned.

"Is there anywhere else we could go before heading back upstairs? Now that I'm up and about I think I can handle walking a bit longer." Santein said, and Elsa could hear the agitation that he tried to hide in his voice. She knew what it felt like to have to stay put, and she hated the thought of him feeling confined.

"I could show you where Kaija has been staying." Elsa suggested, raising her brow.

"Let me guess. It's upstairs?" He smirked, turning slowly back towards the door.

"Yes." She giggled, leading him back out through the hall and up the winding steps. When they arrived back at the top, Elsa waited patiently for him to catch his breath, before they finally came to Kaija's guest room.

Walking inside, Elsa looked around with wide eyes. All over the floor, dolls from her child hood sat in neat little rows. Dresses that had belonged to her and Anna sat folded on chairs, some lay out on the bed. On the back window, black bars decorated the hinges.

"Wow, it's wonderful in here." Santein voiced.

"This used to be a guest room, but when I moved out of our shared room as a kid, it was mine." Elsa said, remembering the long hours she sat staring out of that window. She could remember the constant worry she felt, the endless hours of concealing and trying to ignore her powers. She shuddered.

"Kaija's never had anything this nice." Santein said quietly. Elsa turned round to look at him. She wanted to ask him what he meant, but she knew better. Of all the people in Arendelle, she knew better than anyone when to leave a conversation as it was. "I know she really appreciates all you've done for her. She may not be thank you verbally, because she's so young." Santein said quietly.

Elsa thought back to the first moment she had seen Kaija. Anna held her tightly in her arms, her little body freezing and snow covered. Her breathing had stopped, her lips turned a pale blue. Anna's tears had fallen onto Kaija's forehead, and in the midst of fear and false hope, Elsa had somehow saved the little girl from death. Elsa felt a stab of horror as she realized Santein had no knowledge of this. His sister had been dead, and she fought the urge to reveal this to him. What would he think of her if he knew she had saved his sister's life? _He would fear me, _Elsa said to herself sadly. _Just like he would fear my powers._

"It really isn't a problem, you are both welcome here. As long as you need to stay." Elsa said with a slight smile, surprising herself at the added ending.

Santein limped towards the window, gazing out of it. He looked at the dolls littering the floor, and turned his attention back up to Elsa. "Kristoff told me Kaija plays with these dolls all day. He even said he was planning on buying her a new one today." Santein sighed. "She loves Kristoff a lot, her father was never around, back home." Elsa raised a brow. _Her father_? Elsa thought. _Wasn't her father his?_

"That's terrible," Elsa voiced her thoughts, thinking of how empty her life would have been without having her father around, about how much she missed his presence. "But Anna tells me they both adore Kaija." That was the truth, Anna loved the girl. Elsa had recently had to warn her to not get too attached to the child, and she had caught Kristoff giving the girl a long, loving hug twice already.

Santein looked up, thankfulness glowing in his eyes. He cleared his throat, and looked down at his covered side. "Maybe it's time I go back to my room. I'm sure you've got many things to do."

Elsa shook her head. "Oh, no, I'm not busy." She said, eagerness pouring from her words. She liked this company, someone who treated her as if she was a normal person, not a powerful Ice Queen. Grant it, he didn't know about her powers, but he still didn't treat her like some of her visitors did. Her paper work could come later, she was used to staying up late anyways. "But you're right, you walked a lot today. I'm sure you're tired." She looked at the door. She couldn't sound so desperate for human conversation.

Santein walked back towards his room, Elsa pacing behind him. Once he got to his bed, he lay down slowly, painful huffs spilling from his lips. Elsa stayed in the door way, looking at the floor. She listened for him to get settled without meeting his eyes, not wanting to make him feel uncomfortable.

"Are you all settled, then?" Elsa asked, looking up slightly.

"Yup, I think so." Santein nodded. Sighing, Elsa threw him a smile, turning to leave. Just as she pulled the door shut, she heard his voice.

"Elsa?" Santein said, and Elsa poked her head back into the room.

"Yes?" She asked, a tickle of excitement hitting her chest. She knew that once she got back to her room, she wouldn't be able to focus on her papers. Santein was just too easy to think about.

"Could we do a castle walk every day? Only if you aren't busy, of course." He cleared his throat, his eyes flicking to his hands nervously. "I really enjoy talking to you."

Elsa's pulse quickened, and she was sure the deep blush that tickled her cheeks was plainly visible. She covered this up, making it look as if she was thinking about her schedule. "If we go every day at this time, I think I could fit a walk in." She said, her voice pitched a bit too high.

"Great. I can't wait." He said, holding her sight. Standing for a little longer than she should, she blinked, turning towards the door.

"And Elsa?" Santein said, making her role her eyes playfully as she peeked through the door once more. "You're also a good blusher." He winked.

Elsa pulled the door shut before he could catch how red her face became. Walking back to her room, she sat at her desk, twirling a pen in her fingers. She caught herself staring at the wall three times, replaying their conversation in her head. Shaking herself back to reality, she shivered.

What was happening to her?

* * *

Thanks for reading, Lovies!

Comment please :3

**Love,**

**OncerRevolution**


	13. Not What We Thought

*sorry for the wait guys! It took a lot of planning to get this chaoter right...hope you enjoy! Please comment, I love your thoughts!*

**Chapter 13**

**Not What We Thought**

Elsa looked up to a knock on her door. Before she could answer, a few more soft taps hit the wooden surface, shaking it slightly. "Elsa! We're back!" A squeaky voice called through the wood.

Elsa felt herself smile. She stood and paced to the door, opening it to find the little girl barefoot, a lollipop smacked between her lips. She had one arm wrapped around her back, wiggling her toes in excitement. "Did you have fun?" Elsa asked.

"Yes! And look! Look what Kristoff got for me!" She stood on her tip toes, whipping her hand around to reveal a stuffed doll. It wore a yellow dress much like the one Kaija wore. It's hair was braided, swinging down as Kaija tossed it in the air.

"Let me see." Elsa knelt down to her knees, level with the little girls eyes. They shone with excitement as Elsa looked closely at the doll in her sticky hands. She didn't dare touch it, but examined it closely. "She's beautiful, Kaija. Does she have a name?" Elsa asked as the little girl hugged the doll to her chest.

"Yes." She slurped a dab of spittle off her lower lip. "I call her Elsa. Mostly cause her hair's like yours."

"That's very nice of you." Elsa laughed lightly, smiling at the curly haired child. "Did you thank Kristoff for it?" She said sternly, eyeing her.

Kaija's little eyes widened in alarm. "Oh my gosh! I forgot!" She grabbed Elsa's wrist in her tiny palm, pulling Elsa along behind her. "Come on, we gotta go thank him!"

Elsa didn't need an excuse to follow her. She was happy to get out of her own room, she hadn't gotten anything done in there anyways. Kaija pelted towards Santein's room, whipping the door open. Elsa followed in a second later, finding her sister and Kristoff talking to Santein.

"Kristoff!" Kaija huffed, grabbing his leg. "I forgot! I'm sorry!" She breathed heavily. The run from Elsa's room to this one was a lot farther for little legs.

"What? You forgot what?" Kristoff said, kneeling down and eyeing her in concern. "Are you OK?"

Kaija laid her hand on his shoulder, holding the doll out to his face. "I forgot to thank you for Elsa!" Her little voice became very quiet, her brown eyes widening. She looked at him with the most serious expression Elsa had ever seen on a child's face. "Are you mad at me?"

Kristoff looked up at Anna, her eyes showing how much her heart melted at the little girls sentence. He looked back to Kaija, a soft expression sitting on his face. "Of course I'm not mad at you, sweetie. So that's what you decided to name her? Elsa?" He looked up to the real Queen, and she smiled.

Kaija ignored his question, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Thank you so so much, Kristoff."

Kristoff squeezed her lightly, standing as he held her in his arms. Her attention slid to Anna. "Thank you Anna. I named her after your sister." She smiled, and Anna walked over. She lay her head on Kristoff shoulder, poking Kaija's nose.

"You're very welcome, honey." Anna flicked her eyes to Elsa's. Elsa felt her heart sink to her stomach, the look of love in Anna's eyes was undeniable. Elsa knew it was too late to warn her again, it would only break her heart, even more than the thought that the little girl would be leaving soon. She gave in, smiling to her sister. Anna' eyes blinked thankfully. These were the moments Elsa enjoyed most. She could speak to her sister like this, explain everything to her without a word. It was a whole lot easier than speaking. _Just be careful_, Elsa spoke with her eyes. Anna nodded softly.

"Santein, ya wanna see her? Isn't she pretty?" Kristoff sat the little girl down on the bed, and she scrambled onto Santein, straddling him.

"She is." Santein examined the doll, shifting his eyes to Kristoff. "Thank you, we really appreciate this." Kaija nodded along with him.

"It's no problem." Kristoff said, his arm wrapping around Anna's waist. Elsa watched closely, looking between the ring on Anna's finger and the connection between her sister's and Kristoff's eyes. Their was no doubt anymore, they both were in love with Kaija.

"Maybe it's time you get to bed," Elsa said suddenly, interrupting the moments of silence that held in the air. "You've had a long day."

Kaija turned, fighting a yawn. "But i'm-I'm not sleepy." She said, her eye lids drooping.

"Kaija, listen to Elsa please." Santein said, his brow raised. Kaija turned, sticking her tongue out at him. "The earlier you go to sleep the earlier you can get up." Santein added.

Kaija chewed her lip, sighing dramatically. "Well OK." She clambered off on Santein's lap, hopping onto the floor. "Elsa's pretty tired too." Elsa perked her attention to the little girl, but realized she was speaking for the doll. Kaija toddled to the door, opening it slowly. She suddenly turned around, looking at the floor. "Anna?"

Anna stepped forward, a smile on her lips. "Would you like me to tuck you in?"

Kaija turned, the little doll pressed to her cheek. "Yes please." She smiled big. Anna followed the little girl out, leaving Elsa alone with Kristoff and Santein.

"I can't thank you enough-" Santein began, and Kristoff put up his hand to stop him.

"She's a gem, it's not a bother at all." Kristoff smiled, pulling the chair from the corner of the room over towards Santein's bed, taking a seat. "Besides, I had to get her something to play with. Shes certainly very talkative, but quite shy around other children."

"She didn't want to play with any of the other children, it really surprised me." Anna said, stepping back into the room. She gave Elsa a slight smile as she came and sat on the edge of the bed. "I was hoping she would at least talk to them, but she never left our side." Anna added, looking to Kristoff.

Kristoff answered with a nod. Elsa watched as Santein looked back and forth between them, looking as if he wanted to speak, but couldn't find the words.

"Do you know why Kaija is like that?" Elsa heard herself say. Had she really just said that? She hadn't even thought about it before it came out of her mouth.

Santein blinked up at her, and Elsa felt the heated looks of Anna and Kristoff's eyes. The question wasn't just inappropriate, it was _rude_. A Queen new better, or she _should_ know better. Before Elsa could apologize, Santein spoke up.

"Are you sure Kaija is asleep?" He asked, eyeing the door.

Anna's face grew worried. She stood up slowly, peeked outside the door, and came back over to stand behind Kristoff. "Yes...she's asleep." She said quietly. Elsa looked back and fourth between Anna's dark, worried eyes and Santein's serious blue orbs. Why was he so worried?

"Kaija...she's always been very attention seeking." He began, his voice quiet as he looked at his feet. "Kaija's father and mother were never married, he's a royal, she was a commoner. I only met her once." Santein said, and Elsa dropped her jaw in astonishment.

"Wait..._her_ mother and father? I thought you were siblings?" Kristoff said, his face mirroring what Elsa was asking herself inside her head.

Santein looked up slowly, shaking his head. "That's just it, we aren't."

"But...but I thought-" Anna began, but Santein put up his hand, stopping her. Elsa blinked, listening as Santein continued.

"Her mother died when she born, while in labor with her." Santein said. Anna gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth. Elsa felt her heart drop to her feet in pity for the little girl. The poor child never met her mother. "When Kaija was a toddler, her father started to get distant. He was always too busy exploring, as most Prince's are." Santein looked up at Elsa, and she swallowed. "I never trusted him myself. He disappeared when Kaija was two, for almost a week. He wanted his own place, his own country. His daughter that loved him more than anything was never enough for him. The only thaing that could fill his heart was power." Santein shook his head, anger thickening his voice. "Whenever he would come home, Kaija would toddle after him. He practically ignored her, for some reason blaming her for her mother's death."

Elsa listened, feeling herself grow more sorrowful in every sentence Santein spoke. She pictured the curly headed little girl chasing after a man, ignoring her adorable babbles of noise. She saw the man walk into a room, slamming the door shut in Kaija's little face, her brown eyes filling with tears as she hung her head, walking away from the closed door. Elsa looked at Anna, feeling another jolt of pity. Elsa had been the one who had slammed the door in Anna's face, all those years ago. Of course Anna loved Kaija so much, she reminded her of herself in some way.

"Kaija never got adult attention, ever. I believe things would have been different, if her mother was still alive. But that's why she's so desperate for adult's approval, to talk to them, to be with them." Santein said, looking at Kristoff and Anna. "I believe that's why she adores you both so much. Anna is the mother she never had." At this Anna's knees shook, and she fell to Kristoff's lap. "And Kristoff..." Santein sighed heavily. "Kristoff actually _cares_ for Kaija, unlike her real father."

Elsa had never seen Kristoff look so solemn and angry. His face drooped in sadness, but his brown eyes glowed with determination. Elsa laid her hand to her chest, so much pain pulsing her heart that she felt she might cry. She had a strong urge to ask Santein to stop, to tell her no more. She didn't want to hear about Kaija's sad life, it reminded her too much of the childhood she had provided Anna with.

"But it doesn't end there. The last time Kaija saw her father, she had snuck into his room. She only wanted to play, to see him. When he found her in there, he punished her. He beat her, he_ hit_ that little girl. He put a four year old child in a _cell_, by herself, for two days. A _child_." Santein gritted his teeth. "That terrible man doesn't deserve to be her father, doesn't deserve to even know she exists. She is too special, too innocent, too brilliant for him to ever hurt again."

Elsa couldn't bare to listen anymore. She turned towards the wall, her hands quivering. Her ears rung as she bit her inner lip hard, trying to control the magic pulsing at her finger tips. "That's when I decided enough was enough. I was twenty when I moved to that country, working as a palace guard. He lived in the palace with the king, his older brother, but he was still too power hungry to pay attention to Kaija. She was two when I met her, and I watched every day as he ignored her more and more. After I found her in that cell...I couldn't bare it anymore. No one cared for Kaija, she cared for herself. So I took her, and I left. We moved to Arkinvale, just over a year ago. Ever since she's adopted me as her brother, and I've gone along with it. Do you know what I was told? That man said that his daughter died of sickness. He told everyone he did everything he could to save her, but that she _died_." Santein laughed with disgust. "He hasn't even come to look for her. No one has, and no one ever will."

Elsa could hear the pain in Anna's breaths. She turned to see Kristoff holding Anna close, both looking at Santein in horror, appalled by what they had just heard. She wrapped her arms tight around herself, hoping that all the practice she had had over the past year of controlling her magic would work.

"Listen, I don't mean to lay this all on you," Santein said, rushing his words. "But you mean the world to that little girl. I know you've only known her for a few weeks, but she loved you the very first second you showed her what she's never known before._ Love_."

Elsa felt chills run down her back, and she had to fight the tears that threatened to spill over her eyes. She looked at Santein, the dim light from a lamp in the corner wrapping around his face. His solemn eyes met Elsa's, but she couldn't force herself to say anything. She wanted nothing more than to run into Kaija's room and scoop her up, to tell her that she did care for her. She suddenly wanted to tell Kaija that she'd never be shut out again, that she was loved. She wanted to explain to her that she was Elsa's second chance, and promise her that she would _always_ have the door open for her when she needed. Elsa looked to Anna, who's lips quivered.

"Who is her father?" She asked quietly, and Santein frowned.

"He's a prince, he lives in the Kingdom south of Arkinvale." He said, meeting her eyes.

"What's his name?" Kristoff pressed, and Elsa suddenly felt a jolt deep in her stomach. _Searching for his own country? _Elsa thought. _No...it couldn't possibly be..._

Santein's teeth gritted together. "Hans, of the Southern Isles."

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Please comment! I wanna know what you guys think!

**Love always,**

**OncerRevolution**


	14. The Saddest Smile

***** **It's here guys, it's here! Finally! I've been tweeking at it, trying to get reactions right from the last chapter. I hope this one really speaks to you, I really tried to tie things together. I know these last few chapter have all been basically in the same night, and it's gonna pick up again after this one. But, please leave comments, and please enjoy! Love ya!*******

**Chapter 14**

**The Saddest Smile **

The pit of hate in Elsa's stomach for the man who had almost killed her had just became deeper, so deep in her body and soul and every part of her that she was sure it went on for an eternity. He had not only tried to murder her, he had tried to fake out her sister. And now, he had hurt the little girl Anna loved as much as if she was her own child. Elsa felt herself laugh, not in amusement, but in utter shock. She had never felt something so..._powerful_ in her chest before, and that was saying something. She had never _hated_ someone so much. Actually, it hadn't surprised her. It had _mortified_ her. She had guessed it just before Santein had said it, and the moment the words came from his mouth, Elsa had almost fallen backwards. She couldn't even bring herself to speak, or even look at Anna. She didn't have to, she could feel the heat of Anna's rage from across the room.

Elsa listened, waiting for someone to say something. She waited for a reaction, for Kristoff to ask Santein to repeat himself, for Anna to cry, for Santein to ask what they were gaping about. After a few moments, Elsa had to look up as Anna rushed past her, stomping towards the door. Elsa looked at her sister's red face, her eye's brimming with tears. But they weren't tears of sadness, they weren't formed from fear. Elsa had never seen someone cry out of hate, out of pure shock and rage. She didn't even know that was possible.

"Anna-" Kristoff stood after her, grabbing her arm. He pulled her backwards gently, his voice straining to control his anger. She flicked her attention back to him.

"Let me-" She ripped her arm away from him. "Go!" Tearing away from his grasp, Anna stormed out the door, slamming it behind her. Kristoff sighed heavily, gritting his jaw tightly in anger. He shook his head, as if thinking back through the words Santein had said. Elsa could only imagine how much he hated Hans as well, and she honestly feared the look in his dark eyes. He walked to the door, shoulders tense.

"Don't," Elsa said, stepping forward and laying a hand on his chest. "Please, let me talk to her." she said gently, her heart pounding. She suddenly needed to be Anna's sisters, she needed to comfort her. She needed to be there for her, to talk to her, to listen to her. She didn't just need to be, she had to be. This was one of the first moments Anna had ever really needed someone since she had known about Elsa's powers. Elsa couldn't let anyone else take the responsibility anymore. She owed to herself, but most of all, she owed it to Anna.

Kristoff looked at her in shock, slowly blinking for a long time. He bit his lips, took a step back and nodded. "OK...OK."

Elsa blinked softly, looking at Santein before she escaped through the door, her skin chilling from the temperature in the hall. Looking around, she felt her stomach turn over. She didn't know _how_ to be an older sister. "No," Elsa said to herself angrily. "You can't shut her out. She needs you right now, you can't let your own feelings get in the way." Taking one last glance at her pulsing hands, she made forward, slowly making her way towards Anna's room. Honestly, she didn't know where to look for her sister. She grew up hiding herself from her, she had no knowledge of where she went when she was upset, when she was hurting. Elsa herself had taken comfort in her own room, so maybe Anna did too.

Coming to Anna's door, Elsa found it crack. She pushed the door slightly, her hands shaking from nerves. Peeking in, she looked around the dark room, eyes squinted. "Anna? Are you in here? It's...it's Elsa." Elsa listened to her voice spill into the room. She wasn't used to this, wasn't use to her voice sounding motherly, protective.

Hearing nothing, she squeezed her hands in agitation, stepping into the room. She made her way around slowly, listening for Anna. She came all the way around the room, shaking her head._ I guess she isn't in here._

Taking a guess, Elsa decided to head to the kitchen. Anna did like to eat, and all Elsa knew was that maybe she liked to eat when she was upset too. Coming out of Anna's room, Elsa paced quickly back towards the stairs. Right as she passed her old room, Elsa heard a slight cry. Stopping silently, she swallowed, her dress wrapping around her feet as she stopped so suddenly._ Of course_, She thought. _She's with Kaija_.

Elsa reached towards the door knob, but stopped. She couldn't do this. There was no way she could do this. All these years of staying quiet, all these years of shutting the door in her sisters face, how could she finally open it, literally? How was she supposed to figure out in a seconds notice how to be who Anna needed her to be? Elsa felt her face redden as a lump began to form in her throat. She _desperately_ wanted to help Anna. She wanted to be her _sister_, for once in her life. Elsa looked down at her hands, forcing the tears back.

'He beat her, he hit that little girl...she is too special, too innocent, to brilliant for him to ever hurt again.' Santein's words rung in Elsa's head, banging her heart like an axe through ice. Her eyes flickered up to the handle once more, and suddenly the tears on her face stopped. She was right, she couldn't do this, she doubted herself too much. She feared not doing Anna justice too much to open the door in front of her. She was scared because she'd never done this before, she'd never made the choice to not only open the door to Anna, but to also open her own doors like this. She wanted to run away, it would be so easy to...

But this time, there was a difference. Elsa didn't just need to help Anna. **She****_ had_**** to do it.**

Forcing herself to forget the past, Elsa jumped towards the door, throwing herself so that she physically couldn't stop. When she spilled inside, she caught her breath just in time, stopping any noise she made as she looked into the corner of the room.

Anna knelt besides the bed, her weight shifted to one side with her knees curled underneath her. The top half of her body and chest leaned against the bed, her head sitting on her arms that she had folded beneath her chin. Elsa could barely make out her wet cheeks from the fire opposite from where she sat, low because it was almost out of wood. Anna's eyes didn't look up, instead they rested on Kaija's little face, the Elsa doll curled into the cuff of her neck. The little girl licked her lips ever so slightly, deeply asleep. Anna hadn't seen Elsa come in.

"I know you feel alone, Kaija. Even though you're so little, you still feel it. And I'm so sorry, sweet heart. I know what it feels like, to be shut out, to feel like someone doesn't love you. I know how heart breaking it is to...to stare at someone's back your whole life, just wishing they would turn around and talk to you." Anna's sobs broke her speech. "And I know how scary it can be, feeling like it's your fault. Feeling like that person hates you."

Elsa couldn't stop the tears anymore. She had to cover her mouth to mute the sounds of pain that came from her stomach. Her knees felt weak, she could barely breathe. Anna's words had almost stopped her heart, and tears came so profusely down her face that Elsa couldn't see clearly. Her heart physically hurt, her body ached. She wanted to scream to Anna, to grab her, to embrace her. She was horrified. Elsa could never have voiced how much pain Anna had just explained. She knew she had hurt her sister, and herself, but never to that extent. She didn't know Anna blamed herself for Elsa's mistakes.

"But I promise he doesn't hate you sweetie." Anna began again, and Elsa didn't breath. She could just barely make out her sister's croaking voice. "You see someone once told me that when people are mad, or, or scared, or even stressed, they make bad choices." She wiped a tear from her freckled cheek. "Sometimes they don't know how much they are hurting the other person. Just because they shut you out doesn't mean they don't love you, Kaija." Her voice was barely a whisper. "It doesn't mean they aren't at fault, but it doesn't mean they hate you. It takes a person twice as strong as you to shut you out, because really it hurts them more than it hurts you. I know it doesn't seem like that, but it's true."

Elsa felt numb. Not only had Anna just revealed how hurt she was, how broken her smiling face had always been. She had said that Elsa was hurt more, that it wasn't Elsa's fault. She couldn't make herself do anything, so she slid her back down to the floor, wrapping her knees to her chest as she continued to listen to Anna's voice.

"...I'm sure you're mad at your daddy. And you have a right to be, if you can even understand. But there is a difference between people who hurt you to protect you, and hurt you to _hurt_ you." Anna began to sob again, coming closer to the little girl's face. "I know why my sister hurt me," Elsa swallowed, her heart pounding. "But your daddy...I will _never_ understand why he hurt you." Anna got to her feet, sitting on the edge of the bed, her shoulders slumped forward. "I want to tell you he didn't mean it, sweetie. I want to be able to explain to you why he hurt you. But I can't, and I won't even try. What he did was wrong." Anna leaned towards the little girl, tucking the blanket around her shoulders. "But I can promise you one thing. He, or anyone, will never hurt you again. You will never know what being shut out feels like again, I'll make sure of that." Anna swallowed, and Elsa could see one tear fall on Kaija's forehead as Anna kissed her lightly. "You will always be loved Kaija, because I love you, and I always will."

Anna wiped her face once more, and to Elsa's compete astonishment, Anna turned and looked right at her. "Hi, Elsa."

Anna had known she was there. Elsa couldn't speak. What was she supposed to say? She came in here to be the big sister, not to cower in the corner as she listened to Anna's heart break and be put back together all in the same moment. She came in here to comfort Anna, to hug her, to listen to her, to finally be an older sister. She didn't come to watch Anna heal herself.

"Are you OK?" Anna asked, wiping her cheeks. Of course she had asked, she never thought of herself.

Elsa looked up to her, shakily standing on her feet. No, this wasn't going to be about her anymore. She wasn't going to let Anna do this, she didn't have to face the world alone, not anymore. "I'm...I'm fine. I was just coming to check on you." Elsa met her sister's eyes, sitting slowly on the opposite side of the bed from her.

"I'm OK." Anna said quietly, but looked down at Kaija. "It just took me by surprise."

Elsa waited. She thought about saying something, telling her how sorry she was. She thought about hugging her, but she wasn't exactly good at that either. "You know, Anna, I'm sorry. I know you must be angry-" Anna put her hand up, and Elsa bit her lip.

"Elsa." Anna said, grabbing Elsa's hand and squeezing it gently. "I'm not angry. I just don't want Kaija to feel that ever again. So I don't even plan on thinking about it anymore." She smiled, and Elsa couldn't decide on how to react. "I'm sorry you had to hear all of that, but I couldn't stop myself from letting it all out. I had to let it go." Anna said quietly, the fire reflecting in her green-blue eyes.

Elsa took a long, heavy breath. Suddenly, it made sense. She didn't need to speak. She didn't need to listen. She just needed to show Anna she was there, and that she _did_ care. "Anna, I'm sorry. I'm the one who caused all of it, it's my fault. It isn't yours, it never has been." Elsa looked down at Kaija as well.

Anna shook her head gently. "But don't you see? If I hadn't grown up knowing how feeling alone feels, I'd never be able to emphasize with Kaija. Maybe it was just meant to be." Anna forced a little giggle, but Elsa didn't fall for it.

"That's an awful lot of dealing just to be able to feel for someone else." Elsa said. She came over to Anna, and without hesitation, wrapped her arms around her sister's skinny shoulders. "I love you, I always have. It's just taken me awhile to figure out what love really is."

Anna squeezed Elsa tightly, her head in Elsa's shoulder. "You do know I can't let Kaija go, don't you?" Anna said, and Elsa could feel her blinking against her skin.

Elsa didn't answer. She didn't have to, because she knew that no matter what she said, Anna would never let the child go anymore. And as Elsa gazed down at her little face, she knew she could never let the child go as well. Letting her sister go, Elsa took a step back, smiling at Anna.

"Thank you." Anna said quietly. As Elsa looked back to the dying fire, she watched Anna out of the corner of her eye. Her freckled cheeks smiled down at Kaija, her eyes glazed over as she watched the child's sleeping breaths. Elsa felt chills run her arms as she realized how much happiness came from her smile. Elsa had only seen Anna frown a few times in her life, but until today, she had never seen her actually smile. Of course a turned up lip had always rested on her red cheeks, but this smile wasn't just because of temporary happiness. The smile on Anna's lips now was a smile formed from pure relief, from pure happiness, and pure love. This smile wasn't _just_ a smile anymore, it wasn't fake. This was _Anna's _smile, and it looked pretty darn good on her watery little face.

* * *

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**Love you all,**

**OncerRevolution**


	15. Reminder

** Andddd it's here! Sorry its been a while, I had this written two days ago but couldn't upload because of an ice storm that took our power! This chapter is a bit short, but the next three chapters are pretty action packed :3 Hope you enjoy, please comment!**

** Chapter 15**

** Reminder**

"And you say you knew this," Danesk looked at Elsa with a blank expression. "Hans fellow?"

"Well, yes," Elsa nodded, twirling her fingers nervously. "Well, no. I mean, yes, we did." Elsa took a heavy breath, looking up to Danesk, who stood before her in the door way. "Anna knew him more than I did, but we both new him." Elsa didn't feel the need to tell the whole story, instead she settled on sparing Danesk the details.

Danesk raised a brow, looking at the floor. Elsa could tell she wasn't really interested in the Han's story, but she still pressed. "And he's the child's father?"

Elsa still couldn't handle the thought, but she forced out a squeaky noise. "Yes." It had been a day since the residents of the castle had found out about Hans being Kaija's father, and Elsa had taken every precaution she could to try and keep Danesk out of the mess. But, as luck would have it, Danesk had somehow heard, and now she questioned Elsa.

Danesk was quiet for quite a while, almost too long for Elsa to bear. She felt a stab of guilt as she looked at the woman's face, so closely related to her own. Anna still new nothing of the reason for Danesk's arrival, and hadn't pressed on why she was staying here. Elsa secretly thanked that Anna had been too busy working out everything else that had been going on, because with her curious personality, Elsa would never have been able to keep Danesk a secret without the distractions. "How is Anna doing, then?" Danesk finally pushed out, coming into Elsa's room.

"She's doing fine. Better than before." Elsa said quietly, looking down at her hands.

"Have you decided if she can know about me yet?" Danesk said quietly, and when Elsa looked up into her blue eyes, she felt her heart speed up. Elsa was treating this woman like a stray dog, as if she was feeding it and keeping it secretly hidden away in a pen, like it was too much trouble to pay any attention to. She hoped Danesk had understood her lack of interaction with her, with all the people staying at the castle at the moment.

"I just believe Anna's had too much to think about," Elsa lied. She did want Anna to relax, but truthfully she was too scared to tell her sister. Telling her would be admitting she had lied, just like their mother had. "I don't want any more pressure on her at the moment."

"More pressure on who, exactly?" Elsa froze when she heard her sister's light voice stream into the room. Anna had come from the back door, standing behind Elsa and Danesk for who knows how long. Elsa watched her sister pace slowly into the room, her green-blue eyes lit brightly from the reflection of light from Elsa's window.

"No one, Anna. We were, well just, um," Elsa cleared her throat. "Kaija need's some chores to do to keep her busy, but she's had a lot going on lately." She felt a stab of guilt hit her heart. She was supposed to be_ through _with lying.

Anna shifted her weight to one hip, crossing her arms with a sassy sort of smirk. "Elsa," She said, raising a brow. "You don't have to lie to me anymore. Remember? We said we're done with that."

Elsa looked her sister in the eyes, and knew she had lost. "I know...I'm sorry." She said, gritting her hands into fists tightly. "I'm sorry."

Suddenly Anna was next to Elsa, leaning gently onto her shoulder. "Hey, it's OK." Elsa smiled softly up at her, and Anna returned with another gentle smirk. "But how about you tell me the truth, alright?"

Elsa felt herself become the slightest bit agitated at her sister's pressy attitude, but she knew she was right. But how could she tell her now? Lying wasn't just easier, it made Elsa feel like she could somehow still protect Anna from the world, that she could somehow get back all the time she had lost at letting Anna figure everything out for herself. Elsa threw her eyes up to Danesk, who straitened her back, smiling at Anna. "Anna? Would you mind if I told you? It's not Elsa's chore to tell you what you need to know."

Anna flicked her eyes back to Elsa for a moment, but Elsa couldn't bring herself to say anything. She was still too weak to be an older sister, she still had too much to learn. "Oh. Yes, I suppose that's fine." Anna said, crossing her hands in her lap.

Danesk came across the room, her motherly gaze falling over Anna and Elsa. Elsa felt Anna stiffen as Danesk came close to her, taking a seat at Elsa's desk. When she began to speak, Elsa only listened for a moment. She didn't want to hear the story again, she didn't want to except the fact that she and Anna had been lied to their whole lives, on top of everything else. She only let her body feel Anna's, she let her back rest against her sister's own. She felt Anna's emotions change with every move she made, every breath she took. Elsa closed her eyes and waited, waited for the story to be over. Suddenly, Elsa realized Anna was gone, and she spun her attention around.

"So, so you mean you're my aunt? You're our aunt?" Anna's voice said softly, and Elsa watched her freckled cheeks quiver.

"Yes, dear. I'm so sorry that I'm only here now-" Before Danesk could finish her sentence, Anna had wrapped her arms around Danesk's shoulder's. Elsa gasped silently as she watched Danesk's face, her teary eyes closing as she welcomed Anna's embrace. They hugged for a short moment, before Anna pulled away, looking at Elsa.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked, and Elsa feared the worse. She feared Anna would run out of the room, angry at her, once again, for keeping a secret. She feared Anna would be done with her pathetic trials to protect her, that she would have had enough of Elsa's quiet emotions, her terrible secrets. Elsa couldn't imagine how she'd apologize this time, how she would make it up to her sister.

"Anna, I wanted to tell you, I did, but-" Anna cut her off with a wave of her hand.

"You wanted to protect me, I get it." Anna said, and Elsa watched in shock as Anna smiled at her. "But you don't have to protect me..." She said walking over to Elsa and laying a hand on her shoulder. "I'm not afraid." Anna looked at Elsa hands. "I'm not afraid of you, I'm not afraid of me, I'm not afraid of the truth." Anna stood up, looking at Danesk. "Besides, I'd much rather know the truth behind why you would want to protect me, than to take a guess at it and be wrong."

Elsa knew what she meant, and stood to hug her sister. She held her in an embrace, feeling her heart beat, feeling her smile. "You've always been the strong one, I just hope I can be more like you." Elsa whispered in Anna's ear.

Anna pulled away, and with a wave of her hand, walked towards the door. As she exited, there was suddenly a little child pulling on her skirt.

"Anna! Anna! Can you play now?" Kaija giggled as Anna picked her up.

"Yes, what would you like to play?" Anna asked, walking away from the door. Elsa could no longer see them, but she could hear Kaija's little voice.

"You can be Elsa, I'll be you." Kaija said, and Elsa perked her ears towards them.

"What game is that?" Anna said, laughter mixing into her voice.

"Sisters." Kaija said, and Elsa felt a smile crease her lips. "Sisters who love each other very much."

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**OncerRevolution**


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